Brownsville–Harlingen–San Benito, TX 

National Compensation Survey 

July 2003 

_________________________________________________________________________________________ 

U.S. Department of Labor 

Elaine L. Chao, Secretary 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Kathleen P. Utgoff, Commissioner 

December 2003 

Bulletin 3120–18
iii 

Preface

ata shown in this bulletin were collected as part of the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) National Compensation Survey (NCS). The survey could not have been conducted without the cooperation of the many private firms 

and government jurisdictions that provided pay data included in this bulletin. The Bureau thanks these respondents for their cooperation. 

 Field economists of the Bureau of Labor Statistics collected and reviewed the survey data. The Office of Compensation and Working Conditions, in cooperation with the 

Office of Field Operations and the Office of Technology 

and Survey Processing in the BLS National Office, designed the survey, processed the data, and prepared the 

survey for publication. 

 For additional information regarding this survey, please 

contact any BLS regional office at the address and telephone number listed on the back cover of this bulletin. 

You may also write to the Bureau of Labor Statistics at: 

Division of Compensation Data Analysis and Planning, 

2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Room 4175, Washington, 

DC 20212–0001, or call (202) 691–6199, or send e-mail to 

ocltinfo@bls.gov. 

 The data contained in this bulletin are also available at 

http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/compub.htm, the BLS Internet site. Data are in three formats: An ASCII file containing the published table formats; an ASCII file containing 

positional columns of data for manipulation as a data base 

or spreadsheet; and a Portable Document Format (PDF) file 

containing the entire bulletin. 

 Results of earlier surveys of this area are also available 

from BLS regional offices, the Division of Compensation 

Data Analysis and Planning, or at the BLS Internet site. 

 Material in this bulletin is in the public domain and, 

with appropriate credit, may be reproduced without permission. This information will be made available to sensory 

impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 

691–5200; Federal Relay Service: 1–800–877–8339. 

D
 v

Contents

Page 

Introduction................................................................................................................................................ 1 

Tables: 

1–1. Summary: Mean hourly earnings and weekly hours by selected worker and establishment 

 characteristics, private industry, and State and local government ................................................ 2 

2–1. Mean hourly earnings: Selected occupations, all workers, private industry, 

 and State and local government.................................................................................................... 3 

2–2. Mean hourly earnings: Selected occupations, full-time workers, private industry, 

 and State and local government.................................................................................................... 5 

2–3. Mean hourly earnings: Selected occupations, part-time workers, private industry, 

 and State and local government.................................................................................................... 7 

3–1. Mean weekly earnings and hours: Selected occupations, full-time workers, private industry, 

 and State and local government.................................................................................................... 8 

3–2. Mean annual earnings and hours: Selected occupations, full-time workers, private industry, 

 and State and local government.................................................................................................... 10 

4–1. Selected occupations and levels, all workers: Mean hourly earnings, private industry, 

 and State and local government.................................................................................................... 12 

4–2. Selected occupations and levels, full-time workers: Mean hourly earnings, private industry, 

 and State and local government.................................................................................................... 15 

4–3. Selected occupations and levels, part-time workers: Mean hourly earnings, private industry, 

 and State and local government.................................................................................................... 18 

5–1. Selected worker characteristics: Mean hourly earnings by occupational group............................ 19 

5–2. Major industry division: Mean hourly earnings by occupational group, private industry............. 20 

5–3. Establishment employment size: Mean hourly earnings by occupational group, 

 private industry............................................................................................................................. 21 

6–1. Hourly wage percentiles for establishment jobs, all workers: 

 Selected occupations, all industries .............................................................................................. 22 

6–2. Hourly wage percentiles for establishment jobs, all workers: 

 Selected occupations, private industry.......................................................................................... 24 

6–3. Hourly wage percentiles for establishment jobs, all workers: 

 Selected occupations, State and local government ....................................................................... 25 

6–4. Hourly wage percentiles for establishment jobs, full-time workers: 

 Selected occupations, all industries .............................................................................................. 26 

6–5. Hourly wage percentiles for establishment jobs, part-time workers: 

 Selected occupations, all industries .............................................................................................. 28 

Appendixes: 

A. Technical Note................................................................................................................................. A – 1 

 Appendix table 1. Number of workers represented by the survey, by occupational group............ A – 5 

B. Occupational Classifications............................................................................................................ B – 1 

C. Occupational Leveling Criteria ........................................................................................................ C – 1 

D. Evaluating Your Firm’s Jobs ........................................................................................................... D – 1 
1 

Introduction

he tables in this bulletin summarize the NCS results for 

the Brownsville–Harlingen–San Benito, TX, metropolitan area. Data were collected between June 2003 and 

October 2003; the average reference month is July 2003. 

Tabulations provide information on earnings of workers in 

a variety of occupations and at different work levels. Also 

contained in this bulletin are information on the program, a 

technical note describing survey procedures, and several 

appendixes with detailed information on occupational classifications and the occupational leveling methodology. 

NCS products

The Bureau’s National Compensation Survey provides data 

on occupational wages and employee benefits for localities, 

broad geographic regions, and the Nation as a whole. The 

Employment Cost Index, a quarterly measure of the change 

in employer costs for wages and benefits, is derived from 

the NCS. Another product, Employer Costs for Employee 

Compensation, measures employers’ average hourly costs 

for total compensation, that is, wages and benefits. Still 

another NCS product measures the incidence of benefit 

plans and their provisions. This bulletin is limited to data 

on occupational wages and salaries. 

About the tables 

The tables that follow present data on straight-time occupational earnings, which include wages and salaries, incentive 

pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. These 

earnings exclude premium pay for overtime, vacations, 

holidays, nonproduction bonuses, and tips. About 480 detailed occupations are used to describe all occupations in 

the civilian nonfarm economy (excluding the Federal Government and private households). Data are not shown for 

any occupations if they would raise concerns about the confidentiality of the survey respondents or if the data are insufficient to support reliable estimates. 

 Table 1–1 presents an overview of all tables in this bulletin. Mean hourly earnings, weekly hours, and relative 

standard errors are given for all industries, private industry, 

and State and local government for selected worker and establishment characteristics. The worker characteristics include major occupational group, full-time or part-time 

status, union or nonunion status, and time or incentive pay. 

Establishment characteristics include goods and service 

producing and size of establishment. 

 Table 2–1 presents estimates of mean hourly earnings, 

and the relative standard errors associated with them, for 

detailed occupations within all industries, private industry, 

and State and local government. Table 2–2 presents the 

same type of information for full-time workers only. Table 

2–3 provides similar data for workers designated as parttime. 

 Table 3–1 provides mean weekly earnings data, with 

relative standard errors, and weekly hours for full-time employees in specific occupations across all industries, private 

industry, and State and local government. Table 3–2 provides annual earnings, relative standard errors, and annual 

hours for full-time employees in specific occupations. 

 Table 4–1 provides mean hourly earnings data by work 

level for occupational groups and for detailed occupations. 

Separate data are also shown for private industry and government workers. Table 4–2 provides work level data for 

full-time workers. Table 4–3 provides similar data for 

workers designated as part-time. 

 Table 5–1 presents mean hourly earnings data for selected worker characteristics by major occupational groups. 

The worker characteristics include full-time or part-time 

designation, union or nonunion status, and time or incentive 

pay. Table 5–2 presents mean hourly earnings data for major industry divisions by occupational groups; these estimates are limited to the private sector. Table 5–3 presents 

mean hourly earnings data for establishment employment 

sizes by major occupational groups within the private sector. 

Tables 6–1 through 6–5 present hourly wage percentiles 

that describe the distribution of hourly earnings for individual workers within each published occupation. Data are 

provided for the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles 

for detailed occupations within all industries, private industry, State and local government, full-time workers, and 

part-time workers. These iterations correspond to those 

presented in tables 2–1, 2–2, and 2–3. 

 Appendix table 1 provides the number of workers represented by the survey by major occupational group. The 

employment estimates relate to all employers in the area, 

rather than just to those surveyed. 

T
Table 1-1. Summary: Mean hourly earnings1 and weekly hours by selected characteristics, private industry and State and local

government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Worker and establishment characteristics

Total Private industry State and local government

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours3

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours3

Hourly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours Mean 3

Relative

error2

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error2

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error2

(percent)

Total ........................................................................... $12.92 4.3 34.6 $10.59 7.4 32.4 $16.95 3.2 39.0

Worker characteristics:4

White-collar occupations5 ....................................... 17.75 3.4 37.4 15.31 7.1 36.3 20.32 2.5 38.5

Professional specialty and technical ................... 23.47 2.5 38.3 20.49 6.1 39.2 25.53 2.1 37.6

Executive, administrative, and managerial ......... 24.97 6.3 41.0 23.67 11.1 42.4 26.02 9.2 40.0

Sales ................................................................... 9.85 10.4 31.0 9.85 10.4 31.0 – – –

Administrative support ........................................ 10.47 9.7 37.7 11.05 17.3 36.1 9.87 3.4 39.5

Blue-collar occupations5 ......................................... 9.76 5.2 36.6 9.44 6.3 36.2 10.95 3.7 38.2

Precision production, craft, and repair ................ 14.96 7.4 39.9 15.06 10.3 39.8 14.71 2.7 40.0

Machine operators, assemblers, and

inspectors ......................................................... 8.89 2.2 35.9 8.89 2.2 35.9 – – –

Transportation and material moving ................... 9.41 4.9 37.3 9.04 10.0 39.7 9.71 3.5 35.5

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers,

and laborers ...................................................... 7.18 4.4 35.0 6.90 5.3 34.1 8.54 6.0 40.0

Service occupations5 .............................................. 7.26 4.6 29.5 5.81 2.5 26.5 10.83 6.3 41.0

Full time .................................................................. 14.38 3.1 39.2 12.28 6.0 39.0 17.05 3.2 39.5

Part time ................................................................. 6.21 5.4 22.4 6.10 5.4 22.4 – – –

Union ...................................................................... 22.61 10.4 37.2 – – – – – –

Nonunion ................................................................ 12.63 4.2 34.5 10.20 6.9 32.2 16.79 3.4 39.3

Time ........................................................................ 12.97 4.4 34.5 10.60 7.6 32.3 16.95 3.2 39.0

Incentive ................................................................. 10.21 5.4 39.5 10.21 5.4 39.5 – – –

Establishment characteristics:

Goods producing .................................................... 6 ( ) 6 ( ) 6 ( ) 11.52 4.7 38.6 6 ( ) 6 ( ) 6 ( )

Service producing ................................................... 6 ( ) 6 ( ) 6 ( ) 10.32 9.6 31.0 6 ( ) 6 ( ) 6 ( )

50-99 workers7 ....................................................... 10.67 13.5 36.4 10.36 15.3 36.1 13.82 6.5 39.6

100-499 workers ..................................................... 10.90 9.1 30.6 9.51 10.3 29.3 17.21 6.2 38.3

500 workers or more ............................................... 15.28 4.7 37.6 12.49 10.6 35.3 17.06 5.1 39.2

1 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to employees. They

include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. Excluded are premium

pay for overtime, vacations, and holidays; nonproduction bonuses; and tips. The mean is

computed by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by the number of workers,

weighted by hours. 2 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a percent of

the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around a sample

estimate. For more information about RSEs, see appendix A. 3 Mean weekly hours are the hours an employee is scheduled to work in a week,

exclusive of overtime. 4 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time schedule based

on the definition used by each establishment. Union workers are those whose wages are

determined through collective bargaining. Wages of time workers are based solely on

hourly rate or salary; incentive workers are those whose wages are at least partially

based on productivity payments such as piece rates, commissions, and production

bonuses. 5 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is used to cover

all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for more information. 6 Classification of establishments into goods-producing and service-producing

industries applies to private industry only. 7 Establishments classified with 50-99 workers may contain establishments with

fewer than 50 due to staff reductions between survey sampling and collection. 

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet publication

criteria. 

2
Table 2-1. Mean hourly earnings,1 all workers:2 Selected occupations, private industry and State and local government,

National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupation3

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

All ............................................................................................. $12.92 4.3 $10.59 7.4 $16.95 3.2

All excluding sales ............................................................ 13.10 4.5 10.66 8.0 16.95 3.2

White collar ......................................................................... 17.75 3.4 15.31 7.1 20.32 2.5

White collar excluding sales ......................................... 18.75 3.4 16.84 7.6 20.32 2.5

Professional specialty and technical ............................ 23.47 2.5 20.49 6.1 25.53 2.1

Professional specialty ................................................... 25.78 2.6 26.12 8.7 25.66 2.2

Engineers, architects, and surveyors ....................... ––––––

Mathematical and computer scientists ..................... ––––––

Health related ........................................................... 28.73 9.0 28.70 10.9 – –

Registered nurses ................................................ 26.55 6.3 – – – –

Teachers, college and university .............................. ––––––

Teachers, except college and university .................. 26.24 1.2 – – 26.46 1.2

Elementary school teachers ................................. 27.31 .1 – – 27.31 .1

Secondary school teachers .................................. 26.93 1.8 – – 26.97 1.8

Social, recreation, and religious workers .................. 14.89 3.9 – – – –

Social workers ...................................................... 14.89 3.9 – – – –

Writers, authors, entertainers, athletes, and

professionals, n.e.c. ............................................ ––––––

Technical ...................................................................... 15.50 5.3 15.51 5.5 – –

Licensed practical nurses ..................................... 15.08 2.8 14.94 2.6 – –

Executive, administrative, and managerial .................. 24.97 6.3 23.67 11.1 26.02 9.2

Executives, administrators, and managers ............... 27.41 4.7 24.63 9.6 30.58 6.5

Managers and administrators, n.e.c. .................... 21.69 8.5 20.88 8.1 – –

Management related ................................................. 16.76 7.5 – – 17.52 8.1

Sales ................................................................................ 9.85 10.4 9.85 10.4 – –

Sales workers, other commodities ........................ 8.82 13.0 8.82 13.0 – –

Cashiers ............................................................... 8.20 7.5 8.20 7.5 – –

Administrative support, including clerical ................... 10.47 9.7 11.05 17.3 9.87 3.4

Secretaries ........................................................... 10.68 9.3 – – 10.91 10.2

Records clerks, n.e.c. ........................................... 8.54 2.1 – – – –

Bookkeepers, accounting and auditing clerks ...... 9.39 1.7 9.44 5.5 – –

General office clerks ............................................. 9.22 2.6 8.47 6.6 9.44 1.5

Teachers’ aides .................................................... 9.18 2.3 – – 9.18 2.3

Blue collar ........................................................................... 9.76 5.2 9.44 6.3 10.95 3.7

Precision production, craft, and repair ........................ 14.96 7.4 15.06 10.3 14.71 2.7

Water and sewer treatment plant operators ......... 10.00 7.8 – – 10.00 7.8

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ........ 8.89 2.2 8.89 2.2 – –

Miscellaneous machine operators, n.e.c. ............. 10.08 2.9 10.08 2.9 – –

Transportation and material moving ............................ 9.41 4.9 9.04 10.0 9.71 3.5

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 7.18 4.4 6.90 5.3 8.54 6.0

Helpers, construction trades ................................. 7.96 1.2 – – – –

Stock handlers and baggers ................................. 5.63 2.8 5.63 2.8 – –

Freight, stock, and material handlers, n.e.c. ......... 9.83 3.5 9.83 3.5 – –

Laborers, except construction, n.e.c. .................... 6.83 7.0 – – 8.29 6.6

Service ................................................................................. 7.26 4.6 5.81 2.5 10.83 6.3

Protective service ..................................................... 11.23 7.5 – – 14.04 11.0

Police and detectives, public service .................... 18.26 5.2 – – 18.26 5.2

Food service ............................................................. 6.17 12.1 4.57 9.0 9.10 5.4

Waiters, waitresses, and bartenders ...................... 3.11 11.1 3.11 11.1 – –

Waiters and waitresses ........................................ 2.63 8.0 2.63 8.0 – –

Other food service .................................................. 8.23 7.3 6.96 5.4 9.10 5.4

Cooks ................................................................... 8.02 4.4 – – – –

Food counter, fountain, and related ...................... 7.68 .8 7.68 .8 – –

Kitchen workers, food preparation ........................ 7.17 5.8 – – – –

Health service ........................................................... ––––––

See footnotes at end of table.

3
Table 2-1. Mean hourly earnings,1 all workers:2 Selected occupations, private industry and State and local government,

National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003 — Continued

Occupation3

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Service –Continued

Health service –Continued

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants ............... $8.54 6.0 $6.77 1.4 – –

Cleaning and building service ................................... 7.29 3.9 6.38 5.8 $7.97 1.2

Janitors and cleaners ........................................... 7.69 2.1 6.93 5.0 7.97 1.2

Personal service ....................................................... 6.17 .8 6.15 .8 – –

1 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to employees.

They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. Excluded

are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays, nonproduction bonuses, and

tips. The mean is computed by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by the

number of workers, weighted by hours. 2 All workers include full-time and part-time workers. 3 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is used

to cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for more information.

4 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a

percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around

a sample estimate. For more information about RSEs, see appendix A.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet

publication criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Overall

occupational groups may include data for categories not shown separately. 

4
Table 2-2. Mean hourly earnings,1 full-time workers:2 Selected occupations, private industry and State and local

government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupation3

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

All ............................................................................................. $14.38 3.1 $12.28 6.0 $17.05 3.2

All excluding sales ............................................................ 14.55 3.3 12.40 6.4 17.05 3.2

White collar ......................................................................... 18.49 3.2 16.35 6.9 20.49 2.5

White collar excluding sales ......................................... 19.18 3.1 17.49 7.1 20.49 2.5

Professional specialty and technical ............................ 23.69 2.5 20.43 6.1 26.01 2.0

Professional specialty ................................................... 26.12 2.5 26.00 8.4 26.16 2.0

Engineers, architects, and surveyors ....................... ––––––

Mathematical and computer scientists ..................... ––––––

Health related ........................................................... 28.62 8.8 28.57 10.6 – –

Registered nurses ................................................ 26.55 6.3 – – – –

Teachers, college and university .............................. ––––––

Teachers, except college and university .................. 26.86 .9 – – 27.10 .9

Elementary school teachers ................................. 27.31 .1 – – 27.31 .1

Secondary school teachers .................................. 26.93 1.8 – – 26.97 1.8

Social, recreation, and religious workers .................. 14.89 3.9 – – – –

Social workers ...................................................... 14.89 3.9 – – – –

Writers, authors, entertainers, athletes, and

professionals, n.e.c. ............................................ ––––––

Technical ...................................................................... 15.51 5.4 15.52 5.6 – –

Licensed practical nurses ..................................... 15.08 2.8 14.94 2.6 – –

Executive, administrative, and managerial .................. 24.97 6.3 23.67 11.1 26.02 9.2

Executives, administrators, and managers ............... 27.41 4.7 24.63 9.6 30.58 6.5

Managers and administrators, n.e.c. .................... 21.69 8.5 20.88 8.1 – –

Management related ................................................. 16.76 7.5 – – 17.52 8.1

Sales ................................................................................ 10.99 10.8 10.99 10.8 – –

Sales workers, other commodities ........................ 9.51 10.6 9.51 10.6 – –

Administrative support, including clerical ................... 10.70 10.1 11.66 18.6 9.87 3.4

Secretaries ........................................................... 10.68 9.3 – – 10.91 10.2

Records clerks, n.e.c. ........................................... 8.54 2.1 – – – –

Bookkeepers, accounting and auditing clerks ...... 9.42 1.8 – – – –

General office clerks ............................................. 9.22 2.6 – – 9.44 1.5

Teachers’ aides .................................................... 9.18 2.3 – – 9.18 2.3

Blue collar ........................................................................... 10.18 5.0 9.94 6.4 10.98 3.7

Precision production, craft, and repair ........................ 14.96 7.4 15.06 10.3 14.71 2.7

Water and sewer treatment plant operators ......... 10.00 7.8 – – 10.00 7.8

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ........ 9.28 2.2 9.28 2.2 – –

Miscellaneous machine operators, n.e.c. ............. 10.08 2.9 10.08 2.9 – –

Transportation and material moving ............................ 9.40 5.1 9.04 10.0 – –

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 7.46 4.7 7.16 5.9 8.54 6.0

Helpers, construction trades ................................. 7.96 1.2 – – – –

Stock handlers and baggers ................................. 5.75 3.7 5.75 3.7 – –

Laborers, except construction, n.e.c. .................... 6.87 9.4 – – 8.29 6.6

Service ................................................................................. 8.45 2.3 6.08 2.3 10.84 6.3

Protective service ..................................................... 11.61 5.7 – – 14.04 11.0

Police and detectives, public service .................... 18.26 5.2 – – 18.26 5.2

Food service ............................................................. 6.56 11.5 4.73 6.4 9.10 5.4

Waiters, waitresses, and bartenders ...................... 3.10 10.8 3.10 10.8 – –

Waiters and waitresses ........................................ 2.65 7.5 2.65 7.5 – –

Other food service .................................................. 8.53 6.5 7.44 6.2 9.10 5.4

Cooks ................................................................... 8.02 4.4 – – – –

Health service ........................................................... 9.61 4.9 7.69 4.7 – –

Health aides, except nursing ................................ 9.56 17.4 – – – –

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants ............... 9.90 10.6 7.28 3.5 – –

Cleaning and building service ................................... 7.61 4.0 6.87 9.6 7.98 1.3

Janitors and cleaners ........................................... 7.73 2.0 6.99 5.1 7.98 1.3

See footnotes at end of table.

5
Table 2-2. Mean hourly earnings,1 full-time workers:2 Selected occupations, private industry and State and local

government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003 — Continued

Occupation3

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Service –Continued

Personal service ....................................................... ––––––

1 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to employees.

They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. Excluded

are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays, nonproduction bonuses, and

tips. The mean is computed by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by the

number of workers, weighted by hours. 2 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time

schedule based on the definition used by each establishment. Therefore, a

worker with a 35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered a full-time

employee in one establishment, but classified as part-time in another firm, where

a 40-hour week is the minimum full-time schedule.

3 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is used

to cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for more information. 4 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a

percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around

a sample estimate. For more information about RSEs, see appendix A.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet

publication criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Overall

occupational groups may include data for categories not shown separately. 

6
Table 2-3. Mean hourly earnings,1 part-time workers:2 Selected occupations, private industry and State and local

government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupation3

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

All ............................................................................................. $6.21 5.4 $6.10 5.4 – –

All excluding sales ............................................................ 6.12 5.3 5.99 5.3 – –

White collar ......................................................................... 8.21 5.8 7.98 7.1 – –

White collar excluding sales ......................................... 9.11 11.9 – – – –

Professional specialty and technical ............................ ––––––

Professional specialty ................................................... ––––––

Health related ........................................................... ––––––

Teachers, except college and university .................. ––––––

Technical ...................................................................... ––––––

Sales ................................................................................ 7.20 13.0 7.20 13.0 – –

Cashiers ............................................................... 6.51 2.0 6.51 2.0 – –

Administrative support, including clerical ................... ––––––

Blue collar ........................................................................... 6.29 4.4 6.09 5.2 – –

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ........ ––––––

Transportation and material moving ............................ ––––––

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 6.00 4.2 6.00 4.2 – –

Stock handlers and baggers ................................. 5.52 2.4 5.52 2.4 – –

Service ................................................................................. 5.62 2.5 5.61 2.5 – –

Protective service ..................................................... ––––––

Food service ............................................................. 4.04 16.4 4.04 16.4 – –

Health service ........................................................... ––––––

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants ............... 6.11 1.0 6.11 1.0 – –

Cleaning and building service ................................... ––––––

Personal service ....................................................... ––––––

1 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to employees.

They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. Excluded

are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays, nonproduction bonuses, and

tips. The mean is computed by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by the

number of workers, weighted by hours. 2 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time

schedule based on the definition used by each establishment. Therefore, a

worker with a 35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered a full-time

employee in one establishment, but classified as part-time in another firm, where

a 40-hour week is the minimum full-time schedule.

3 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is used

to cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for more information. 4 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a

percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around

a sample estimate. For more information about RSEs, see appendix A.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet

publication criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Overall

occupational groups may include data for categories not shown separately. 

7
Table 3-1. Mean weekly earnings,1 full-time workers:2 Selected occupations, private industry and State and local

government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupation3

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Weekly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours5

Weekly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours5

Weekly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours Mean 5

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

All ............................................................... $564 3.3 39.2 $479 6.3 39.0 $674 3.1 39.5

All excluding sales .............................. 574 3.3 39.5 489 6.5 39.4 674 3.1 39.5

White collar ........................................... 721 3.7 39.0 639 7.8 39.1 798 2.6 38.9

White collar excluding sales ........... 757 3.3 39.5 703 7.4 40.2 798 2.6 38.9

Professional specialty and

technical ...................................... 923 2.6 39.0 814 6.2 39.9 998 2.2 38.4

Professional specialty ..................... 1,012 2.5 38.7 1,038 8.4 39.9 1,003 2.2 38.4

Engineers, architects, and

surveyors .............................. – – – – – – – – –

Mathematical and computer

scientists ............................... – – – – – – – – –

Health related ............................. 1,145 8.8 40.0 1,143 10.6 40.0 – – –

Registered nurses .................. 1,062 6.3 40.0 – – – – – –

Teachers, college and university – – – – – – – – –

Teachers, except college and

university .............................. 1,021 1.0 38.0 – – – 1,029 1.0 38.0

Elementary school teachers ... 1,031 .6 37.7 – – – 1,031 .6 37.7

Secondary school teachers .... 1,024 1.2 38.0 – – – 1,026 1.2 38.1

Social, recreation, and religious

workers ................................. 596 3.9 40.0 – – – – – –

Social workers ........................ 596 3.9 40.0 – – – – – –

Writers, authors, entertainers,

athletes, and professionals,

n.e.c. ..................................... – – – – – – – – –

Technical ........................................ 617 5.2 39.8 618 5.5 39.8 – – –

Licensed practical nurses ....... 599 2.3 39.7 594 1.9 39.7 – – –

Executive, administrative, and

managerial ................................... 1,025 7.2 41.0 1,004 12.9 42.4 1,041 9.2 40.0

Executives, administrators, and

managers .............................. 1,134 5.7 41.4 1,050 11.6 42.6 1,223 6.5 40.0

Managers and administrators,

n.e.c. ................................. 931 9.0 42.9 905 9.5 43.3 – – –

Management related ................... 670 7.5 40.0 – – – 701 8.1 40.0

Sales .................................................. 381 13.8 34.7 381 13.8 34.7 – – –

Sales workers, other

commodities ..................... 339 4.1 35.6 339 4.1 35.6 – – –

Administrative support, including

clerical ......................................... 425 10.2 39.7 465 18.6 39.9 390 3.4 39.5

Secretaries ............................. 427 9.3 40.0 – – – 437 10.2 40.0

Records clerks, n.e.c. ............. 342 2.1 40.0 – – – – – –

Bookkeepers, accounting and

auditing clerks ................... 372 1.8 39.4 – – – – – –

General office clerks ............... 369 2.6 40.0 – – – 378 1.5 40.0

Teachers’ aides ...................... 354 3.0 38.6 – – – 354 3.0 38.6

Blue collar ............................................. 402 5.0 39.5 391 6.3 39.3 439 3.7 40.0

Precision production, craft, and

repair ............................................ 596 7.5 39.9 600 10.5 39.8 588 2.7 40.0

Water and sewer treatment

plant operators .................. 400 7.8 40.0 – – – 400 7.8 40.0

Machine operators, assemblers,

and inspectors ............................ 371 2.2 40.0 371 2.2 40.0 – – –

Miscellaneous machine

operators, n.e.c. ................ 403 2.9 40.0 403 2.9 40.0 – – –

Transportation and material

moving ......................................... 375 6.4 39.9 359 13.0 39.7 – – –

See footnotes at end of table.

8
Table 3-1. Mean weekly earnings,1 full-time workers:2 Selected occupations, private industry and State and local

government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003 — Continued

Occupation3

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Weekly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours5

Weekly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours5

Weekly earnings

Mean

weekly

hours Mean 5

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Blue collar –Continued

Handlers, equipment cleaners,

helpers, and laborers ................. $288 4.5 38.6 $274 5.8 38.2 $342 6.0 40.0

Helpers, construction trades ... 318 1.2 40.0 – – – – – –

Stock handlers and baggers ... 230 3.7 40.0 230 3.7 40.0 – – –

Laborers, except construction,

n.e.c. ................................. 275 9.4 40.0 – – – 331 6.6 40.0

Service ................................................... 334 2.6 39.6 232 2.0 38.2 445 6.2 41.1

Protective service ....................... 500 4.9 43.0 – – – 627 9.9 44.7

Police and detectives, public

service .............................. 730 5.2 40.0 – – – 730 5.2 40.0

Food service ............................... 248 13.3 37.7 175 5.5 36.9 354 8.6 38.9

Waiters, waitresses, and

bartenders .......................... 117 10.2 37.7 117 10.2 37.7 – – –

Waiters and waitresses .......... 98 7.1 37.2 98 7.1 37.2 – – –

Other food service .................... 322 9.5 37.7 265 7.3 35.7 354 8.6 38.9

Cooks ..................................... 300 3.3 37.4 – – – – – –

Health service ............................. 376 5.3 39.1 299 5.5 38.9 – – –

Health aides, except nursing .. 368 17.1 38.5 – – – – – –

Nursing aides, orderlies and

attendants ......................... 391 10.6 39.5 287 2.9 39.4 – – –

Cleaning and building service ..... 300 3.7 39.4 263 8.1 38.3 319 1.3 40.0

Janitors and cleaners ............. 304 1.4 39.4 262 3.2 37.5 319 1.3 40.0

Personal service ......................... – – – – – – – – –

1 Earnings are the straight-time weekly wages or salaries paid to employees.

They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. Excluded

are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays, nonproduction bonuses, and

tips. The mean is computed by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by the

number of workers, weighted by hours. 2 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time schedule

based on the definition used by each establishment. Therefore, a worker with a

35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered a full-time employee in one

establishment, but classified as part-time in another firm, where a 40-hour week is

the minimum full-time schedule. 3 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is used to

cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for more information. 4 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a

percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around a

sample estimate. For more information about RSEs, see appendix A. 5 Mean weekly hours are the hours an employee is scheduled to work in a

week, exclusive of overtime.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet

publication criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Overall

occupational groups may include data for categories not shown separately. 

9
Table 3-2. Mean annual earnings,1 full-time workers:2 Selected occupations, private industry and State and local

government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupation3

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Annual earnings

Mean

annual

hours5

Annual earnings

Mean

annual

hours5

Annual earnings

Mean

annual

hours Mean 5

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

All ............................................................... $27,043 3.3 1,880 $24,803 6.3 2,020 $29,478 3.1 1,729

All excluding sales .............................. 27,410 3.3 1,884 25,314 6.5 2,042 29,478 3.1 1,729

White collar ........................................... 33,263 3.7 1,799 33,133 7.8 2,026 33,361 2.6 1,628

White collar excluding sales ........... 34,504 3.3 1,799 36,389 7.4 2,081 33,361 2.6 1,628

Professional specialty and

technical ...................................... 40,485 2.6 1,709 42,112 6.2 2,062 39,633 2.2 1,524

Professional specialty ..................... 42,441 2.5 1,625 53,323 8.4 2,051 39,729 2.2 1,519

Engineers, architects, and

surveyors .............................. – – – – – – – – –

Mathematical and computer

scientists ............................... – – – – – – – – –

Health related ............................. 59,536 8.8 2,080 59,435 10.6 2,080 – – –

Registered nurses .................. 55,216 6.3 2,080 – – – – – –

Teachers, college and university – – – – – – – – –

Teachers, except college and

university .............................. 38,434 1.0 1,431 – – – 38,704 1.0 1,428

Elementary school teachers ... 38,492 .6 1,409 – – – 38,492 .6 1,409

Secondary school teachers .... 38,761 1.2 1,439 – – – 38,837 1.2 1,440

Social, recreation, and religious

workers ................................. 30,967 3.9 2,080 – – – – – –

Social workers ........................ 30,967 3.9 2,080 – – – – – –

Writers, authors, entertainers,

athletes, and professionals,

n.e.c. ..................................... – – – – – – – – –

Technical ........................................ 32,087 5.2 2,068 32,142 5.5 2,071 – – –

Licensed practical nurses ....... 31,156 2.3 2,067 30,875 1.9 2,066 – – –

Executive, administrative, and

managerial ................................... 50,133 7.2 2,008 52,192 12.9 2,205 48,719 9.2 1,873

Executives, administrators, and

managers .............................. 54,637 5.7 1,993 54,612 11.6 2,217 54,660 6.5 1,787

Managers and administrators,

n.e.c. ................................. 48,400 9.0 2,232 47,037 9.5 2,252 – – –

Management related ................... 34,497 7.5 2,059 – – – 35,994 8.1 2,055

Sales .................................................. 19,816 13.8 1,803 19,816 13.8 1,803 – – –

Sales workers, other

commodities ..................... 17,614 4.1 1,851 17,614 4.1 1,851 – – –

Administrative support, including

clerical ......................................... 20,051 10.2 1,873 24,096 18.6 2,066 17,114 3.4 1,733

Secretaries ............................. 20,035 9.3 1,877 – – – 20,158 10.2 1,847

Records clerks, n.e.c. ............. 17,370 2.1 2,034 – – – – – –

Bookkeepers, accounting and

auditing clerks ................... 17,384 1.8 1,845 – – – – – –

General office clerks ............... 19,173 2.6 2,080 – – – 19,635 1.5 2,080

Teachers’ aides ...................... 13,216 3.0 1,440 – – – 13,216 3.0 1,440

Blue collar ............................................. 20,682 5.0 2,032 20,314 6.3 2,044 21,883 3.7 1,992

Precision production, craft, and

repair ............................................ 31,014 7.5 2,073 31,184 10.5 2,071 30,588 2.7 2,080

Water and sewer treatment

plant operators .................. 20,809 7.8 2,080 – – – 20,809 7.8 2,080

Machine operators, assemblers,

and inspectors ............................ 19,307 2.2 2,080 19,307 2.2 2,080 – – –

Miscellaneous machine

operators, n.e.c. ................ 20,976 2.9 2,080 20,976 2.9 2,080 – – –

Transportation and material

moving ......................................... 18,252 6.4 1,942 18,670 13.0 2,066 – – –

See footnotes at end of table.

10
Table 3-2. Mean annual earnings,1 full-time workers:2 Selected occupations, private industry and State and local

government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003 — Continued

Occupation3

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Annual earnings

Mean

annual

hours5

Annual earnings

Mean

annual

hours5

Annual earnings

Mean

annual

hours Mean 5

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error4

(percent)

Blue collar –Continued

Handlers, equipment cleaners,

helpers, and laborers ................. $14,975 4.5 2,008 $14,238 5.8 1,989 $17,765 6.0 2,080

Helpers, construction trades ... 16,550 1.2 2,080 – – – – – –

Stock handlers and baggers ... 11,952 3.7 2,080 11,952 3.7 2,080 – – –

Laborers, except construction,

n.e.c. ................................. 14,285 9.4 2,080 – – – 17,235 6.6 2,080

Service ................................................... 16,376 2.6 1,939 11,913 2.0 1,959 20,790 6.2 1,918

Protective service ....................... 25,997 4.9 2,239 – – – 32,624 9.9 2,323

Police and detectives, public

service .............................. 37,980 5.2 2,080 – – – 37,980 5.2 2,080

Food service ............................... 11,211 13.3 1,709 8,991 5.5 1,899 13,653 8.6 1,500

Waiters, waitresses, and

bartenders .......................... 6,088 10.2 1,962 6,088 10.2 1,962 – – –

Waiters and waitresses .......... 5,119 7.1 1,935 5,119 7.1 1,935 – – –

Other food service .................... 13,580 9.5 1,592 13,412 7.3 1,802 13,653 8.6 1,500

Cooks ..................................... 12,872 3.3 1,605 – – – – – –

Health service ............................. 19,531 5.3 2,033 15,532 5.5 2,021 – – –

Health aides, except nursing .. 19,152 17.1 2,004 – – – – – –

Nursing aides, orderlies and

attendants ......................... 20,351 10.6 2,057 14,900 2.9 2,048 – – –

Cleaning and building service ..... 15,474 3.7 2,033 13,672 8.1 1,991 16,386 1.3 2,055

Janitors and cleaners ............. 15,680 1.4 2,028 13,616 3.2 1,949 16,386 1.3 2,055

Personal service ......................... – – – – – – – – –

1 Earnings are the straight-time annual wages or salaries paid to employees.

They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. Excluded

are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays, nonproduction bonuses, and

tips. The mean is computed by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by the

number of workers, weighted by hours. 2 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time schedule

based on the definition used by each establishment. Therefore, a worker with a

35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered a full-time employee in one

establishment, but classified as part-time in another firm, where a 40-hour week is

the minimum full-time schedule. 3 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is used to

cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for more information. 4 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a

percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around a

sample estimate. For more information about RSEs, see appendix A. 5 Mean annual hours are the hours an employee is scheduled to work in a year,

exclusive of overtime.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet

publication criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Overall

occupational groups may include data for categories not shown separately. 

11
Table 4-1. Selected occupations1 and levels,2 all workers:3 Mean hourly earnings,4 private industry and State and

local government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupation and level

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

All ............................................................................................. $12.92 4.3 $10.59 7.4 $16.95 3.2

All excluding sales ............................................................ 13.10 4.5 10.66 8.0 16.95 3.2

White collar ......................................................................... 17.75 3.4 15.31 7.1 20.32 2.5

 1 ...................................................................... 8.38 7.5 8.21 9.4 – –

 2 ...................................................................... 8.52 4.3 7.37 3.6 9.38 3.2

 3 ...................................................................... 9.14 3.2 8.62 3.3 9.92 5.3

 4 ...................................................................... 11.45 8.5 11.83 9.5 9.99 2.2

 5 ...................................................................... 13.31 7.0 15.26 5.3 9.99 3.3

 6 ...................................................................... 20.19 5.4 15.51 4.2 22.30 6.4

 7 ...................................................................... 23.63 4.3 22.05 6.7 26.82 6.2

 8 ...................................................................... 23.17 8.2 20.57 12.7 23.82 9.1

 9 ...................................................................... 25.72 1.7 24.25 .9 25.95 1.9

11 ...................................................................... 32.55 3.6 32.71 7.7 – –

White collar excluding sales ......................................... 18.75 3.4 16.84 7.6 20.32 2.5

 2 ...................................................................... 8.79 3.3 7.58 1.5 9.38 3.2

 3 ...................................................................... 9.18 3.6 8.57 3.8 9.92 5.3

 4 ...................................................................... 11.88 10.0 – – 9.99 2.2

 5 ...................................................................... 13.39 7.1 15.52 5.4 9.99 3.3

 6 ...................................................................... 20.49 5.6 15.93 4.9 22.30 6.4

 7 ...................................................................... 23.63 4.3 22.05 6.7 26.82 6.2

 8 ...................................................................... 23.50 8.0 21.98 13.2 23.82 9.1

 9 ...................................................................... 25.72 1.7 24.25 .9 25.95 1.9

11 ...................................................................... 31.97 3.2 ––––

Professional specialty and technical ............................ 23.47 2.5 20.49 6.1 25.53 2.1

Professional specialty ................................................... 25.78 2.6 26.12 8.7 25.66 2.2

 7 ...................................................................... 24.77 5.3 – – 28.04 6.1

 8 ...................................................................... 26.42 6.9 – – 26.43 7.6

 9 ...................................................................... 26.46 1.2 – – 26.46 1.3

Engineers, architects, and surveyors ....................... – –––––

Mathematical and computer scientists ..................... – –––––

Health related ........................................................... 28.73 9.0 28.70 10.9 – –

Registered nurses ................................................ 26.55 6.3 ––––

Teachers, college and university .............................. – –––––

Teachers, except college and university .................. 26.24 1.2 – – 26.46 1.2

 7 ...................................................................... 30.62 .0 – – 30.62 .0

 8 ...................................................................... 28.58 1.9 ––––

 9 ...................................................................... 26.21 .2 – – 26.21 .2

Elementary school teachers ................................. 27.31 .1 – – 27.31 .1

Secondary school teachers .................................. 26.93 1.8 – – 26.97 1.8

Social, recreation, and religious workers .................. 14.89 3.9 ––––

Social workers ...................................................... 14.89 3.9 ––––

Writers, authors, entertainers, athletes, and

professionals, n.e.c. ............................................ – –––––

Technical ...................................................................... 15.50 5.3 15.51 5.5 – –

 5 ...................................................................... 15.70 6.1 15.70 6.1 – –

 6 ...................................................................... 17.24 2.4 ––––

Licensed practical nurses ..................................... 15.08 2.8 14.94 2.6 – –

Executive, administrative, and managerial .................. 24.97 6.3 23.67 11.1 26.02 9.2

 7 ...................................................................... 15.75 15.9 ––––

 9 ...................................................................... 20.01 6.6 ––––

11 ...................................................................... 31.94 4.3 ––––

Executives, administrators, and managers ............... 27.41 4.7 24.63 9.6 30.58 6.5

 9 ...................................................................... 20.50 7.8 ––––

11 ...................................................................... 31.94 4.3 ––––

Managers and administrators, n.e.c. .................... 21.69 8.5 20.88 8.1 – –

Management related ................................................. 16.76 7.5 – – 17.52 8.1

Sales ................................................................................ 9.85 10.4 9.85 10.4 – –

Sales workers, other commodities ........................ 8.82 13.0 8.82 13.0 – –

 4 ...................................................................... 11.19 4.7 11.19 4.7 – –

Cashiers ............................................................... 8.20 7.5 8.20 7.5 – –

Administrative support, including clerical ................... 10.47 9.7 11.05 17.3 9.87 3.4

See footnotes at end of table.

12
Table 4-1. Selected occupations1 and levels,2 all workers:3 Mean hourly earnings,4 private industry and State and

local government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003 — Continued

Occupation and level

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

White collar –Continued

Administrative support, including clerical –Continued

 2 ...................................................................... $8.82 3.4 $7.59 1.6 $9.38 3.2

 3 ...................................................................... 9.18 3.6 8.55 3.9 9.93 5.3

 4 ...................................................................... 9.90 1.8 9.83 3.0 9.95 2.4

Secretaries ........................................................... 10.68 9.3 – – 10.91 10.2

Records clerks, n.e.c. ........................................... 8.54 2.1 ––––

Bookkeepers, accounting and auditing clerks ...... 9.39 1.7 9.44 5.5 – –

 4 ...................................................................... 9.63 5.1 ––––

General office clerks ............................................. 9.22 2.6 8.47 6.6 9.44 1.5

 3 ...................................................................... 8.80 3.9 ––––

Teachers’ aides .................................................... 9.18 2.3 – – 9.18 2.3

Blue collar ........................................................................... 9.76 5.2 9.44 6.3 10.95 3.7

 1 ...................................................................... 6.09 2.7 5.88 2.3 8.14 .0

 2 ...................................................................... 8.25 3.6 7.88 4.1 9.37 6.6

 3 ...................................................................... 9.13 2.1 9.28 2.0 8.56 1.9

 4 ...................................................................... 10.29 2.5 10.19 2.8 – –

 5 ...................................................................... 11.62 5.8 11.54 5.8 – –

 6 ...................................................................... 14.71 5.5 ––––

 7 ...................................................................... 17.30 12.3 19.23 14.5 – –

Precision production, craft, and repair ........................ 14.96 7.4 15.06 10.3 14.71 2.7

 5 ...................................................................... 12.32 9.3 12.32 9.3 – –

 7 ...................................................................... 17.30 12.5 19.30 14.8 – –

Water and sewer treatment plant operators ......... 10.00 7.8 – – 10.00 7.8

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ........ 8.89 2.2 8.89 2.2 – –

 1 ...................................................................... 6.43 4.8 6.43 4.8 – –

 3 ...................................................................... 9.39 3.5 9.39 3.5 – –

Miscellaneous machine operators, n.e.c. ............. 10.08 2.9 10.08 2.9 – –

Transportation and material moving ............................ 9.41 4.9 9.04 10.0 9.71 3.5

 2 ...................................................................... 8.87 5.8 ––––

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 7.18 4.4 6.90 5.3 8.54 6.0

 1 ...................................................................... 5.95 3.1 5.65 2.7 – –

 2 ...................................................................... 7.68 3.1 7.52 3.6 – –

 3 ...................................................................... 8.76 4.9 8.85 5.8 – –

Helpers, construction trades ................................. 7.96 1.2 ––––

Stock handlers and baggers ................................. 5.63 2.8 5.63 2.8 – –

 1 ...................................................................... 5.49 1.5 5.49 1.5 – –

Freight, stock, and material handlers, n.e.c. ......... 9.83 3.5 9.83 3.5 – –

Laborers, except construction, n.e.c. .................... 6.83 7.0 – – 8.29 6.6

 1 ...................................................................... 6.19 6.1 ––––

Service ................................................................................. 7.26 4.6 5.81 2.5 10.83 6.3

 1 ...................................................................... 6.25 5.4 5.80 3.5 7.96 3.7

 2 ...................................................................... 6.06 11.3 5.44 12.6 – –

 3 ...................................................................... 7.91 11.7 5.30 23.7 9.49 5.8

 4 ...................................................................... 8.50 15.5 – – 13.33 19.3

 5 ...................................................................... 11.63 1.7 ––––

 6 ...................................................................... 11.83 3.3 ––––

Protective service ..................................................... 11.23 7.5 – – 14.04 11.0

Police and detectives, public service .................... 18.26 5.2 – – 18.26 5.2

Food service ............................................................. 6.17 12.1 4.57 9.0 9.10 5.4

 1 ...................................................................... 6.35 9.5 5.35 8.8 – –

 2 ...................................................................... 4.68 30.9 3.53 33.1 – –

Waiters, waitresses, and bartenders ...................... 3.11 11.1 3.11 11.1 – –

 1 ...................................................................... 4.01 5.6 4.01 5.6 – –

Waiters and waitresses ........................................ 2.63 8.0 2.63 8.0 – –

Other food service .................................................. 8.23 7.3 6.96 5.4 9.10 5.4

 1 ...................................................................... 7.59 6.2 ––––

 2 ...................................................................... 8.51 2.6 ––––

See footnotes at end of table.

13
Table 4-1. Selected occupations1 and levels,2 all workers:3 Mean hourly earnings,4 private industry and State and

local government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003 — Continued

Occupation and level

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Service –Continued

Food service –Continued

Other food service –Continued

Cooks ................................................................... $8.02 4.4 ––––

Food counter, fountain, and related ...................... 7.68 .8 $7.68 0.8 – –

Kitchen workers, food preparation ........................ 7.17 5.8 ––––

Health service ........................................................... – –––––

 2 ...................................................................... 9.43 3.7 8.01 5.4 – –

 3 ...................................................................... 8.97 22.2 ––––

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants ............... 8.54 6.0 6.77 1.4 – –

 1 ...................................................................... 7.69 15.4 ––––

Cleaning and building service ................................... 7.29 3.9 6.38 5.8 $7.97 1.2

 1 ...................................................................... 6.99 4.2 6.00 5.1 7.70 .9

Janitors and cleaners ........................................... 7.69 2.1 6.93 5.0 7.97 1.2

 1 ...................................................................... 7.63 1.5 7.32 7.1 7.70 .9

Personal service ....................................................... 6.17 .8 6.15 .8 – –

1 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is

used to cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for more

information. 2 Each occupation for which data are collected in an establishment is

evaluated based on 10 factors, including knowledge, complexity, work

environment, etc. Points are assigned based on the occupation’s rank within

each factor. The points are summed to determine the overall level of the

occupation. See appendixes C and D for more information. 3 All workers include full-time and part-time workers. 4 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to

employees. They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and

hazard pay. Excluded are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays,

nonproduction bonuses, and tips. The mean is computed by totaling the pay

of all workers and dividing by the number of workers, weighted by hours. 5 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a

percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval"

around a sample estimate. For more information about RSEs, see appendix

A.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not

meet publication criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Overall

occupational groups may include data for categories not shown separately. 

14
Table 4-2. Selected occupations1 and levels,2 full-time workers:3 Mean hourly earnings,4 private industry and

State and local government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupation and level

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

All ............................................................................................. $14.38 3.1 $12.28 6.0 $17.05 3.2

All excluding sales ............................................................ 14.55 3.3 12.40 6.4 17.05 3.2

White collar ......................................................................... 18.49 3.2 16.35 6.9 20.49 2.5

 1 ...................................................................... 8.95 7.4 ––––

 2 ...................................................................... 8.88 3.3 7.92 2.9 9.38 3.2

 3 ...................................................................... 9.31 3.5 8.71 4.5 9.92 5.3

 4 ...................................................................... 11.51 8.6 11.93 9.5 9.99 2.2

 5 ...................................................................... 13.79 7.2 15.36 5.2 – –

 6 ...................................................................... 20.20 5.4 15.51 4.2 22.30 6.4

 7 ...................................................................... 23.63 4.3 22.05 6.7 26.82 6.2

 8 ...................................................................... 23.17 8.2 20.57 12.7 23.82 9.1

 9 ...................................................................... 25.66 1.7 23.71 1.9 25.95 1.9

11 ...................................................................... 32.55 3.6 32.71 7.7 – –

White collar excluding sales ......................................... 19.18 3.1 17.49 7.1 20.49 2.5

 2 ...................................................................... 8.79 3.3 7.58 1.5 9.38 3.2

 3 ...................................................................... 9.36 3.8 8.66 5.3 9.92 5.3

 4 ...................................................................... 11.91 9.9 – – 9.99 2.2

 5 ...................................................................... 13.84 7.4 15.52 5.4 – –

 6 ...................................................................... 20.50 5.6 15.94 4.9 22.30 6.4

 7 ...................................................................... 23.63 4.3 22.05 6.7 26.82 6.2

 8 ...................................................................... 23.50 8.0 21.98 13.2 23.82 9.1

 9 ...................................................................... 25.66 1.7 23.71 1.9 25.95 1.9

11 ...................................................................... 31.97 3.2 ––––

Professional specialty and technical ............................ 23.69 2.5 20.43 6.1 26.01 2.0

Professional specialty ................................................... 26.12 2.5 26.00 8.4 26.16 2.0

 7 ...................................................................... 24.77 5.3 – – 28.04 6.1

 8 ...................................................................... 26.42 6.9 – – 26.43 7.6

 9 ...................................................................... 26.39 1.2 – – 26.46 1.3

Engineers, architects, and surveyors ....................... – –––––

Mathematical and computer scientists ..................... – –––––

Health related ........................................................... 28.62 8.8 28.57 10.6 – –

Registered nurses ................................................ 26.55 6.3 ––––

Teachers, college and university .............................. – –––––

Teachers, except college and university .................. 26.86 .9 – – 27.10 .9

 7 ...................................................................... 30.62 .0 – – 30.62 .0

 8 ...................................................................... 28.58 1.9 ––––

 9 ...................................................................... 26.21 .2 – – 26.21 .2

Elementary school teachers ................................. 27.31 .1 – – 27.31 .1

Secondary school teachers .................................. 26.93 1.8 – – 26.97 1.8

Social, recreation, and religious workers .................. 14.89 3.9 ––––

Social workers ...................................................... 14.89 3.9 ––––

Writers, authors, entertainers, athletes, and

professionals, n.e.c. ............................................ – –––––

Technical ...................................................................... 15.51 5.4 15.52 5.6 – –

 5 ...................................................................... 15.70 6.1 15.70 6.1 – –

Licensed practical nurses ..................................... 15.08 2.8 14.94 2.6 – –

Executive, administrative, and managerial .................. 24.97 6.3 23.67 11.1 26.02 9.2

 7 ...................................................................... 15.75 15.9 ––––

 9 ...................................................................... 20.01 6.6 ––––

11 ...................................................................... 31.94 4.3 ––––

Executives, administrators, and managers ............... 27.41 4.7 24.63 9.6 30.58 6.5

 9 ...................................................................... 20.50 7.8 ––––

11 ...................................................................... 31.94 4.3 ––––

Managers and administrators, n.e.c. .................... 21.69 8.5 20.88 8.1 – –

Management related ................................................. 16.76 7.5 – – 17.52 8.1

Sales ................................................................................ 10.99 10.8 10.99 10.8 – –

 3 ...................................................................... 8.87 9.7 8.87 9.7 – –

Sales workers, other commodities ........................ 9.51 10.6 9.51 10.6 – –

Administrative support, including clerical ................... 10.70 10.1 11.66 18.6 9.87 3.4

 2 ...................................................................... 8.82 3.4 7.59 1.6 9.38 3.2

See footnotes at end of table.

15
Table 4-2. Selected occupations1 and levels,2 full-time workers:3 Mean hourly earnings,4 private industry and

State and local government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003 —

Continued

Occupation and level

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

White collar –Continued

Administrative support, including clerical –Continued

 3 ...................................................................... $9.37 3.9 $8.65 5.4 $9.93 5.3

 4 ...................................................................... 9.92 1.8 9.89 2.9 9.95 2.4

Secretaries ........................................................... 10.68 9.3 – – 10.91 10.2

Records clerks, n.e.c. ........................................... 8.54 2.1 ––––

Bookkeepers, accounting and auditing clerks ...... 9.42 1.8 ––––

General office clerks ............................................. 9.22 2.6 – – 9.44 1.5

 3 ...................................................................... 8.80 3.9 ––––

Teachers’ aides .................................................... 9.18 2.3 – – 9.18 2.3

Blue collar ........................................................................... 10.18 5.0 9.94 6.4 10.98 3.7

 1 ...................................................................... 6.22 3.1 5.93 2.5 8.14 .0

 2 ...................................................................... 8.43 3.9 8.05 4.7 9.37 6.6

 3 ...................................................................... 9.23 2.1 9.42 1.8 8.56 1.9

 4 ...................................................................... 10.34 2.8 10.19 2.8 – –

 5 ...................................................................... 11.62 5.8 11.54 5.8 – –

 6 ...................................................................... 14.71 5.5 ––––

 7 ...................................................................... 17.30 12.3 19.23 14.5 – –

Precision production, craft, and repair ........................ 14.96 7.4 15.06 10.3 14.71 2.7

 5 ...................................................................... 12.32 9.3 12.32 9.3 – –

 7 ...................................................................... 17.30 12.5 19.30 14.8 – –

Water and sewer treatment plant operators ......... 10.00 7.8 – – 10.00 7.8

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ........ 9.28 2.2 9.28 2.2 – –

 1 ...................................................................... 6.84 4.6 6.84 4.6 – –

 3 ...................................................................... 9.39 3.5 9.39 3.5 – –

Miscellaneous machine operators, n.e.c. ............. 10.08 2.9 10.08 2.9 – –

Transportation and material moving ............................ 9.40 5.1 9.04 10.0 – –

 2 ...................................................................... 8.87 5.8 ––––

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 7.46 4.7 7.16 5.9 8.54 6.0

 1 ...................................................................... 6.01 3.1 5.57 2.0 – –

 2 ...................................................................... 7.78 3.3 7.62 3.8 – –

 3 ...................................................................... 9.01 4.7 9.19 5.2 – –

Helpers, construction trades ................................. 7.96 1.2 ––––

Stock handlers and baggers ................................. 5.75 3.7 5.75 3.7 – –

Laborers, except construction, n.e.c. .................... 6.87 9.4 – – 8.29 6.6

Service ................................................................................. 8.45 2.3 6.08 2.3 10.84 6.3

 1 ...................................................................... 7.14 7.4 6.06 10.9 7.97 3.7

 2 ...................................................................... 6.56 12.0 5.72 14.7 – –

 3 ...................................................................... 7.95 12.4 – – 9.49 5.8

 4 ...................................................................... 8.50 15.5 – – 13.33 19.3

 5 ...................................................................... 11.63 1.7 ––––

Protective service ..................................................... 11.61 5.7 – – 14.04 11.0

Police and detectives, public service .................... 18.26 5.2 – – 18.26 5.2

Food service ............................................................. 6.56 11.5 4.73 6.4 9.10 5.4

 1 ...................................................................... 6.79 13.1 5.76 20.5 – –

 2 ...................................................................... 5.09 27.1 ––––

Waiters, waitresses, and bartenders ...................... 3.10 10.8 3.10 10.8 – –

Waiters and waitresses ........................................ 2.65 7.5 2.65 7.5 – –

Other food service .................................................. 8.53 6.5 7.44 6.2 9.10 5.4

 1 ...................................................................... 7.80 5.4 ––––

 2 ...................................................................... 8.51 2.6 ––––

Cooks ................................................................... 8.02 4.4 ––––

Health service ........................................................... 9.61 4.9 7.69 4.7 – –

Health aides, except nursing ................................ 9.56 17.4 ––––

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants ............... 9.90 10.6 7.28 3.5 – –

Cleaning and building service ................................... 7.61 4.0 6.87 9.6 7.98 1.3

 1 ...................................................................... 7.36 4.0 6.47 8.4 7.70 1.0

See footnotes at end of table.

16
Table 4-2. Selected occupations1 and levels,2 full-time workers:3 Mean hourly earnings,4 private industry and

State and local government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003 —

Continued

Occupation and level

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Service –Continued

Cleaning and building service –Continued

Janitors and cleaners ........................................... $7.73 2.0 $6.99 5.1 $7.98 1.3

 1 ...................................................................... 7.64 1.1 – – 7.70 1.0

Personal service ....................................................... – –––––

1 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is

used to cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for more

information. 2 Each occupation for which data are collected in an establishment is

evaluated based on 10 factors, including knowledge, complexity, work

environment, etc. Points are assigned based on the occupation’s rank within

each factor. The points are summed to determine the overall level of the

occupation. See appendixes C and D for more information. 3 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time

schedule based on the definition used by each establishment. Therefore, a

worker with a 35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered a full-time

employee in one establishment, but classified as part-time in another firm,

where a 40-hour week is the minimum full-time schedule.

4 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to

employees. They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and

hazard pay. Excluded are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays,

nonproduction bonuses, and tips. The mean is computed by totaling the pay

of all workers and dividing by the number of workers, weighted by hours. 5 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a

percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval"

around a sample estimate. For more information about RSEs, see appendix

A.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not

meet publication criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Overall

occupational groups may include data for categories not shown separately. 

17
Table 4-3. Selected occupations1 and levels,2 part-time workers:3 Mean hourly earnings,4 private industry and

State and local government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupation and level

Total Private industry State and local

 government

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

Mean

Relative

error5

(percent)

All ............................................................................................. $6.21 5.4 $6.10 5.4 – –

All excluding sales ............................................................ 6.12 5.3 5.99 5.3 – –

White collar ......................................................................... 8.21 5.8 7.98 7.1 – –

 1 ...................................................................... 6.90 .8 6.90 .8 – –

White collar excluding sales ......................................... 9.11 11.9 ––––

Professional specialty and technical ............................ – –––––

Professional specialty ................................................... – –––––

Health related ........................................................... – –––––

Teachers, except college and university .................. – –––––

Technical ...................................................................... – –––––

Sales ................................................................................ 7.20 13.0 7.20 13.0 – –

 1 ...................................................................... 6.90 .8 6.90 .8 – –

Cashiers ............................................................... 6.51 2.0 6.51 2.0 – –

 1 ...................................................................... 6.71 1.4 6.71 1.4 – –

Administrative support, including clerical ................... – –––––

Blue collar ........................................................................... 6.29 4.4 6.09 5.2 – –

 1 ...................................................................... 5.75 4.5 5.75 4.5 – –

 2 ...................................................................... 7.05 3.4 7.05 3.4 – –

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ........ – –––––

Transportation and material moving ............................ – –––––

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 6.00 4.2 6.00 4.2 – –

 1 ...................................................................... 5.81 5.5 5.81 5.5 – –

 2 ...................................................................... 6.93 6.8 6.93 6.8 – –

Stock handlers and baggers ................................. 5.52 2.4 5.52 2.4 – –

 1 ...................................................................... 5.40 1.7 5.40 1.7 – –

Service ................................................................................. 5.62 2.5 5.61 2.5 – –

 1 ...................................................................... 5.73 3.3 5.73 3.3 – –

Protective service ..................................................... – –––––

Food service ............................................................. 4.04 16.4 4.04 16.4 – –

Health service ........................................................... – –––––

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants ............... 6.11 1.0 6.11 1.0 – –

Cleaning and building service ................................... – –––––

Personal service ....................................................... – –––––

1 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is

used to cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for more

information. 2 Each occupation for which data are collected in an establishment is

evaluated based on 10 factors, including knowledge, complexity, work

environment, etc. Points are assigned based on the occupation’s rank within

each factor. The points are summed to determine the overall level of the

occupation. See appendixes C and D for more information. 3 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time

schedule based on the definition used by each establishment. Therefore, a

worker with a 35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered a full-time

employee in one establishment, but classified as part-time in another firm,

where a 40-hour week is the minimum full-time schedule.

4 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to

employees. They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and

hazard pay. Excluded are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays,

nonproduction bonuses, and tips. The mean is computed by totaling the pay

of all workers and dividing by the number of workers, weighted by hours. 5 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a

percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval"

around a sample estimate. For more information about RSEs, see appendix

A.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not

meet publication criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Overall

occupational groups may include data for categories not shown separately. 

18
Table 5-1. Selected worker characteristics: Mean hourly earnings1 by occupational group,2 National

Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupational group

Private industry and State and local government

Full-time

workers3

Part-time

workers3 Union4 Nonunion4 Time5 Incentive5

Mean

All occupations ....................................................................... $14.38 $6.21 $22.61 $12.63 $12.97 $10.21

All excluding sales ........................................................ 14.55 6.12 22.61 12.80 13.14 –

White collar ......................................................................... 18.49 8.21 – 17.44 17.83 9.36

White-collar excluding sales ......................................... 19.18 9.11 – 18.44 18.75 –

Professional specialty and technical ................................. 23.69 – – 23.37 23.47 –

Professional specialty ................................................... 26.12 – – 25.75 25.78 –

Technical ...................................................................... 15.51 – – 15.50 15.50 –

Executive, administrative, and managerial ....................... 24.97 – – 24.97 24.97 –

Sales ................................................................................. 10.99 7.20 – 9.85 9.89 9.36

Administrative support, including clerical .......................... 10.70 – – 9.43 10.47 –

Blue collar ........................................................................... 10.18 6.29 17.59 9.34 9.71 –

Precision production, craft, and repair .............................. 14.96 – – 13.89 14.96 –

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors .............. 9.28 – – 8.84 8.67 –

Transportation and material moving ................................. 9.40 – – 9.10 9.12 –

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ...... 7.46 6.00 – 7.18 7.18 –

Service ................................................................................. 8.45 5.62 – 7.26 7.25 –

Relative error6 (percent)

All occupations ....................................................................... 3.1 5.4 10.4 4.2 4.4 5.4

All excluding sales ........................................................ 3.3 5.3 10.4 4.5 4.6 –

White collar ......................................................................... 3.2 5.8 – 3.4 3.4 8.2

White-collar excluding sales ......................................... 3.1 11.9 – 3.4 3.4 –

Professional specialty and technical ................................. 2.5 – – 2.6 2.5 –

Professional specialty ................................................... 2.5 – – 2.7 2.6 –

Technical ...................................................................... 5.4 – – 5.3 5.3 –

Executive, administrative, and managerial ....................... 6.3 – – 6.3 6.3 –

Sales ................................................................................. 10.8 13.0 – 10.4 11.2 8.2

Administrative support, including clerical .......................... 10.1 – – 2.7 9.7 –

Blue collar ........................................................................... 5.0 4.4 22.4 3.9 5.4 –

Precision production, craft, and repair .............................. 7.4 – – 3.8 7.4 –

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors .............. 2.2 – – 2.3 4.2 –

Transportation and material moving ................................. 5.1 – – 4.7 4.5 –

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ...... 4.7 4.2 – 4.4 4.4 –

Service ................................................................................. 2.3 2.5 – 4.6 4.6 –

1 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to

employees. They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and

hazard pay. Excluded are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays,

nonproduction bonuses, and tips. The mean is computed by totaling the pay

of all workers and dividing by the number of workers, weighted by hours. 2 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is

used to cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for more

information. 3 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time

schedule based on the definition used by each establishment. Therefore, a

worker with a 35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered a full-time

employee in one establishment, but classified as part-time in another firm,

where a 40-hour week is the minimum full-time schedule.

4 Union workers are those whose wages are determined through

collective bargaining. 5 Time workers’ wages are based solely on an hourly rate or salary;

incentive workers are those whose wages are at least partially based on

productivity payments such as piece rates, commissions, and production

bonuses. 6 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a

percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval"

around a sample estimate. For more information about RSEs, see appendix

A.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not

meet publication criteria. 

19
Table 5-2. Major industry division: Mean hourly earnings1 by occupational group,2 private industry, National Compensation

Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupational group

Full-time and part-time workers

All private

industries

Goods-producing industries3 Service-producing industries4

Total Mining

ConstructionManufacturing

Total

Transportation and

public utilities

Wholesale

and retail

trade

Finance,

insurance,

and real

estate

Services

Mean

All occupations ............................................................. $10.59 $11.52 – – $11.62 $10.32 – $7.72 – $10.84

All excluding sales .............................................. 10.66 11.22 – – 11.27 10.48 – 7.09 – 10.88

White collar ............................................................... 15.31 19.67 – – 19.67 14.78 – 9.72 – 17.30

White-collar excluding sales ............................... 16.84 18.72 – – 18.72 16.57 – – – 17.56

Professional specialty and technical ....................... 20.49 – – – – 20.52 – – – 20.19

Professional specialty ......................................... 26.12 – – – – 26.47 – – – 25.92

Technical ............................................................ 15.51 – – – – 15.56 – – – 15.56

Executive, administrative, and managerial ............. 23.67 24.93 – – 24.93 22.37 – – – 25.26

Sales ....................................................................... 9.85 – – – – 8.97 – 9.09 – –

Administrative support, including clerical ................ 11.05 10.38 – – 10.38 11.13 – – – 8.32

Blue collar ................................................................. 9.44 9.60 – – 9.37 9.16 – 7.17 – –

Precision production, craft, and repair .................... 15.06 12.77 – – 12.94 – – – – –

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors .... 8.89 9.01 – – 9.01 – – – – –

Transportation and material moving ....................... 9.04 10.96 – – 10.96 – – – – –

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and

laborers ............................................................. 6.90 6.73 – – 6.48 6.98 – 6.91 – –

Service ....................................................................... 5.81 – – – – 5.81 – 4.70 – 6.07

Relative error5 (percent)

All occupations ............................................................. 7.4 4.7 – – 5.2 9.6 – 7.4 – 12.7

All excluding sales .............................................. 8.0 2.7 – – 3.0 10.6 – 8.1 – 13.0

White collar ............................................................... 7.1 8.9 – – 8.9 8.1 – 6.6 – 9.3

White-collar excluding sales ............................... 7.6 4.6 – – 4.6 8.8 – – – 9.4

Professional specialty and technical ....................... 6.1 – – – – 6.3 – – – 6.4

Professional specialty ......................................... 8.7 – – – – 9.7 – – – 9.6

Technical ............................................................ 5.5 – – – – 5.6 – – – 5.6

Executive, administrative, and managerial ............. 11.1 11.4 – – 11.4 21.8 – – – 21.6

Sales ....................................................................... 10.4 – – – – 8.7 – 8.8 – –

Administrative support, including clerical ................ 17.3 1.3 – – 1.3 19.2 – – – 4.3

Blue collar ................................................................. 6.3 .9 – – .9 17.7 – 8.6 – –

Precision production, craft, and repair .................... 10.3 1.8 – – 3.1 – – – – –

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors .... 2.2 1.9 – – 1.9 – – – – –

Transportation and material moving ....................... 10.0 6.8 – – 6.8 – – – – –

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and

laborers ............................................................. 5.3 .9 – – 1.0 8.0 – 10.3 – –

Service ....................................................................... 2.5 – – – – 2.5 – 10.4 – 3.5

1 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to employees. They

include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and hazard pay. Excluded are premium

pay for overtime, vacations, holidays, nonproduction bonuses, and tips. The mean is

computed by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by the number of workers,

weighted by hours. 2 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations is used to cover

all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for more information. 3 Goods-producing industries include mining, construction, and manufacturing.

4 Service-producing industries include transportation and public utilities; wholesale

and retail trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and services. 5 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error expressed as a percent of

the estimate. It can be used to calculate a "confidence interval" around a sample

estimate. For more information about RSEs, see appendix A.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not meet publication

criteria. 

20
Table 5-3. Establishment employment size: Mean hourly earnings1 by occupational group,2 private

industry, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupational group

Full-time and part-time workers

All private

industry

workers

50 - 99

workers3

100 workers or more

Total 100 - 499

workers

500

workers or

more

Mean

All occupations ....................................................................... $10.59 $10.36 $10.66 $9.51 $12.49

All excluding sales ........................................................ 10.66 10.46 10.73 9.38 12.55

White collar ......................................................................... 15.31 14.59 15.50 14.08 17.30

White-collar excluding sales ......................................... 16.84 15.35 17.32 17.07 17.50

Professional specialty and technical ................................. 20.49 19.04 20.65 26.53 18.95

Professional specialty ................................................... 26.12 – 27.42 37.16 23.95

Technical ...................................................................... 15.51 – 15.47 15.53 15.45

Executive, administrative, and managerial ....................... 23.67 – 25.84 24.03 –

Sales ................................................................................. 9.85 7.32 10.10 10.22 –

Administrative support, including clerical .......................... 11.05 14.32 8.84 9.15 –

Blue collar ........................................................................... 9.44 10.63 8.77 8.04 10.62

Precision production, craft, and repair .............................. 15.06 16.69 12.61 10.38 14.00

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors .............. 8.89 9.37 8.81 8.39 –

Transportation and material moving ................................. 9.04 ––––

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ...... 6.90 6.10 7.30 7.21 –

Service ................................................................................. 5.81 4.57 6.12 5.68 –

Relative error4 (percent)

All occupations ....................................................................... 7.4 15.3 8.8 10.3 10.6

All excluding sales ........................................................ 8.0 15.6 9.6 11.9 10.6

White collar ......................................................................... 7.1 19.7 8.1 9.1 13.4

White-collar excluding sales ......................................... 7.6 20.3 8.4 10.2 13.4

Professional specialty and technical ................................. 6.1 14.3 6.9 16.9 10.2

Professional specialty ................................................... 8.7 – 8.8 11.6 1.2

Technical ...................................................................... 5.5 – 5.7 4.3 7.6

Executive, administrative, and managerial ....................... 11.1 – 9.2 9.8 –

Sales ................................................................................. 10.4 5.0 10.9 11.0 –

Administrative support, including clerical .......................... 17.3 29.5 5.1 7.6 –

Blue collar ........................................................................... 6.3 16.0 3.1 3.7 7.6

Precision production, craft, and repair .............................. 10.3 13.1 3.0 8.9 7.5

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors .............. 2.2 5.2 2.6 6.1 –

Transportation and material moving ................................. 10.0 ––––

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ...... 5.3 6.3 4.5 5.3 –

Service ................................................................................. 2.5 7.4 3.8 4.5 –

1 Earnings are the straight-time hourly wages or salaries paid to

employees. They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments,

and hazard pay. Excluded are premium pay for overtime, vacations,

holidays, nonproduction bonuses, and tips. The mean is computed

by totaling the pay of all workers and dividing by the number of

workers, weighted by hours. 2 A classification system including about 480 individual

occupations is used to cover all workers in the civilian economy. See

appendix B for more information. 3 Establishments classified with 50-99 workers may contain

establishments with fewer than 50 due to staff reductions between

survey sampling and collection. 4 The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard error

expressed as a percent of the estimate. It can be used to calculate a

"confidence interval" around a sample estimate. For more information

about RSEs, see appendix A.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did

not meet publication criteria. 

21
Table 6-1. Hourly wage percentiles for establishment jobs,1 all workers:2 Selected occupations, all

industries, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupation3 10 25 Median

50 75 90

All ............................................................................................. $5.25 $6.89 $9.37 $16.50 $26.51

All excluding sales ............................................................ 5.15 6.92 9.40 17.17 26.89

White collar ......................................................................... 7.65 9.09 15.50 25.98 32.22

White collar excluding sales ......................................... 8.00 9.74 16.50 26.39 32.38

Professional specialty and technical ............................ 13.50 16.59 23.56 28.84 32.95

Professional specialty ................................................... 16.50 21.39 25.98 30.56 33.74

Engineers, architects, and surveyors ....................... –––––

Mathematical and computer scientists ..................... –––––

Health related ........................................................... 20.75 25.34 26.10 28.85 36.65

Registered nurses ................................................ 20.18 23.27 26.26 28.85 32.33

Teachers, college and university .............................. –––––

Teachers, except college and university .................. 20.49 21.85 26.00 30.77 33.94

Elementary school teachers ................................. 20.93 23.03 26.61 31.23 34.07

Secondary school teachers .................................. 21.17 22.31 26.26 31.02 33.94

Social, recreation, and religious workers .................. 10.45 13.04 16.02 16.50 17.03

Social workers ...................................................... 10.45 13.04 16.02 16.50 17.03

Writers, authors, entertainers, athletes, and

professionals, n.e.c. ............................................ –––––

Technical ...................................................................... 11.50 13.50 15.67 16.75 19.18

Licensed practical nurses ..................................... 11.59 13.50 15.50 16.47 16.93

Executive, administrative, and managerial .................. 14.19 16.25 23.56 34.33 36.70

Executives, administrators, and managers ............... 15.50 18.20 31.19 34.97 36.76

Managers and administrators, n.e.c. .................... 15.00 15.50 18.20 33.16 34.33

Management related ................................................. 11.50 14.19 16.36 17.79 22.00

Sales ................................................................................ 5.65 6.59 8.75 11.18 12.80

Sales workers, other commodities ........................ 5.65 6.00 7.92 11.23 12.60

Cashiers ............................................................... 5.40 5.88 7.54 10.30 12.00

Administrative support, including clerical ................... 7.20 8.00 9.00 10.40 14.90

Secretaries ........................................................... 8.01 8.89 9.77 10.49 18.01

Records clerks, n.e.c. ........................................... 7.72 7.73 8.29 9.45 10.04

Bookkeepers, accounting and auditing clerks ...... 8.30 8.51 9.09 9.86 11.58

General office clerks ............................................. 8.04 8.28 9.07 9.91 10.48

Teachers’ aides .................................................... 7.57 7.83 8.71 10.27 11.45

Blue collar ........................................................................... 5.30 6.87 8.75 11.25 14.92

Precision production, craft, and repair ........................ 8.65 11.03 14.35 18.27 26.39

Water and sewer treatment plant operators ......... 8.22 8.61 9.19 11.81 11.82

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ........ 6.00 7.15 9.00 10.50 11.25

Miscellaneous machine operators, n.e.c. ............. 7.00 9.12 10.33 11.25 12.73

Transportation and material moving ............................ 7.00 8.00 9.20 10.61 11.63

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 5.15 5.60 6.87 8.20 9.79

Helpers, construction trades ................................. 6.77 7.25 7.75 9.00 9.09

Stock handlers and baggers ................................. 5.15 5.25 5.50 5.75 6.25

Freight, stock, and material handlers, n.e.c. ......... 7.55 8.65 9.25 11.53 12.74

Laborers, except construction, n.e.c. .................... 5.25 6.00 6.50 7.43 9.14

Service ................................................................................. 5.15 5.15 6.13 8.11 11.14

Protective service ..................................................... 5.15 5.25 10.19 14.46 19.92

Police and detectives, public service .................... 13.09 17.91 19.63 19.99 20.31

Food service ............................................................. 2.13 3.15 5.55 8.30 10.36

Waiters, waitresses, and bartenders ...................... 2.13 2.13 2.15 4.42 4.50

Waiters and waitresses ........................................ 2.13 2.13 2.13 2.15 4.25

Other food service .................................................. 5.35 6.35 7.91 9.79 11.20

Cooks ................................................................... 6.32 7.25 8.18 8.94 9.90

Food counter, fountain, and related ...................... 5.15 5.40 6.50 10.24 10.93

Kitchen workers, food preparation ........................ 5.50 5.50 7.57 8.00 8.80

Health service ........................................................... –––––

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants ............... 5.55 6.18 6.78 8.43 18.01

See footnotes at end of table.

22
Table 6-1. Hourly wage percentiles for establishment jobs,1 all workers:2 Selected occupations, all

industries, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003 — Continued

Occupation3 10 25 Median

50 75 90

Service –Continued

Cleaning and building service ................................... $5.15 $6.15 $7.68 $7.98 $8.93

Janitors and cleaners ........................................... 6.34 6.82 7.80 8.12 8.98

Personal service ....................................................... 5.20 5.75 6.13 6.92 6.92

1 Percentiles designate position in the earnings distribution and are

calculated from individual-worker earnings. At the 50th percentile, the

median, half of the workers receive the same as or more than the rate

shown, and half receive the same as or less than the rate shown. At the

25th percentile, one-fourth of the workers receive the same as or less

than the rate shown. At the 75th percentile, one-fourth receive the same

as or more than the rate shown. The 10th and 90th percentiles follow the

same logic. Hourly wages are the straight-time wages or salaries paid to

employees. They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and

hazard pay. Excluded are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays,

nonproduction bonuses, and tips. 2 All workers include full-time and part-time workers. 3 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations

is used to cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for

more information.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not

meet publication criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified."

Overall occupational groups may include data for categories not shown

separately. 

23
Table 6-2. Hourly wage percentiles for establishment jobs,1 all workers:2 Selected occupations, private

industry, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupation3

Private industry

10 25 Median

50 75 90

All ............................................................................................. $5.15 $5.95 $8.00 $12.14 $20.80

All excluding sales ............................................................ 5.15 5.75 7.83 12.50 21.97

White collar ......................................................................... 7.00 8.30 12.60 19.18 26.39

White collar excluding sales ......................................... 7.50 8.78 15.25 23.26 26.75

Professional specialty and technical ............................ 12.71 15.16 17.13 25.84 27.38

Professional specialty ................................................... 16.50 20.90 25.96 26.83 36.65

Engineers, architects, and surveyors ....................... –––––

Mathematical and computer scientists ..................... –––––

Health related ........................................................... 20.75 24.89 26.00 27.70 40.00

Teachers, except college and university .................. –––––

Social, recreation, and religious workers .................. –––––

Writers, authors, entertainers, athletes, and

professionals, n.e.c. ............................................ –––––

Technical ...................................................................... 11.51 13.50 15.68 16.75 19.11

Licensed practical nurses ..................................... 11.59 13.50 15.50 16.47 16.93

Executive, administrative, and managerial .................. 12.75 15.86 18.58 34.97 36.87

Executives, administrators, and managers ............... 13.45 17.07 19.21 34.97 36.87

Managers and administrators, n.e.c. .................... 15.00 15.50 18.20 26.00 34.33

Management related ................................................. –––––

Sales ................................................................................ 5.65 6.59 8.75 11.18 12.80

Sales workers, other commodities ........................ 5.65 6.00 7.92 11.23 12.60

Cashiers ............................................................... 5.40 5.88 7.54 10.30 12.00

Administrative support, including clerical ................... 7.00 7.50 8.50 10.64 26.39

Bookkeepers, accounting and auditing clerks ...... 7.25 7.50 8.55 11.00 11.28

General office clerks ............................................. 5.15 7.72 8.55 9.46 10.00

Blue collar ........................................................................... 5.25 6.30 8.20 11.00 14.16

Precision production, craft, and repair ........................ 8.00 10.63 13.00 18.50 26.39

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ........ 6.00 7.15 9.00 10.50 11.25

Miscellaneous machine operators, n.e.c. ............. 7.00 9.12 10.33 11.25 12.73

Transportation and material moving ............................ 7.00 7.00 8.00 10.00 13.30

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 5.15 5.25 6.30 7.65 9.25

Stock handlers and baggers ................................. 5.15 5.25 5.50 5.75 6.25

Freight, stock, and material handlers, n.e.c. ......... 7.55 8.65 9.25 11.53 12.74

Service ................................................................................. 4.25 5.15 5.50 6.50 7.95

Protective service ..................................................... –––––

Food service ............................................................. 2.13 2.13 4.50 5.50 8.00

Waiters, waitresses, and bartenders ...................... 2.13 2.13 2.15 4.42 4.50

Waiters and waitresses ........................................ 2.13 2.13 2.13 2.15 4.25

Other food service .................................................. 5.15 5.40 5.89 8.19 10.33

Food counter, fountain, and related ...................... 5.15 5.40 6.50 10.24 10.93

Health service ........................................................... –––––

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants ............... 5.50 5.95 6.50 7.55 8.27

Cleaning and building service ................................... 5.15 5.15 5.95 6.50 7.95

Janitors and cleaners ........................................... 5.89 6.07 6.50 7.95 7.95

Personal service ....................................................... 5.18 5.75 6.13 6.92 6.92

1 Percentiles designate position in the earnings distribution and are

calculated from individual-worker earnings. At the 50th percentile, the

median, half of the workers receive the same as or more than the rate

shown, and half receive the same as or less than the rate shown. At the

25th percentile, one-fourth of the workers receive the same as or less

than the rate shown. At the 75th percentile, one-fourth receive the same

as or more than the rate shown. The 10th and 90th percentiles follow the

same logic. Hourly wages are the straight-time wages or salaries paid to

employees. They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and

hazard pay. Excluded are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays,

nonproduction bonuses, and tips. 2 All workers include full-time and part-time workers. 3 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations

is used to cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for

more information.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not

meet publication criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified."

Overall occupational groups may include data for categories not shown

separately. 

24
Table 6-3. Hourly wage percentiles for establishment jobs,1 all workers:2 Selected occupations, State and

local government, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupation3

State and local

 government

10 25 Median

50 75 90

All ............................................................................................. $7.83 $9.04 $13.04 $24.14 $31.94

All excluding sales ............................................................ 7.83 9.04 13.04 24.14 31.94

White collar ......................................................................... 8.54 10.16 20.93 28.90 33.16

White collar excluding sales ......................................... 8.54 10.16 20.93 28.90 33.16

Professional specialty and technical ............................ 15.54 21.39 25.98 31.28 33.61

Professional specialty ................................................... 16.32 21.39 25.98 31.31 33.61

Health related ........................................................... –––––

Teachers, college and university .............................. –––––

Teachers, except college and university .................. 20.93 22.04 26.15 30.99 33.94

Elementary school teachers ................................. 20.93 23.03 26.61 31.23 34.07

Secondary school teachers .................................. 21.17 22.31 26.35 31.02 33.94

Social, recreation, and religious workers .................. –––––

Technical ...................................................................... –––––

Executive, administrative, and managerial .................. 15.43 16.50 29.52 33.74 36.44

Executives, administrators, and managers ............... 15.54 28.60 32.95 35.26 36.70

Management related ................................................. 13.87 15.43 16.50 17.79 22.00

Administrative support, including clerical ................... 7.81 8.44 9.48 10.32 11.80

Secretaries ........................................................... 8.01 8.89 9.93 10.52 18.01

General office clerks ............................................. 8.04 8.61 9.36 10.10 10.48

Teachers’ aides .................................................... 7.57 7.83 8.71 10.27 11.45

Blue collar ........................................................................... 7.55 8.40 9.70 14.07 15.15

Precision production, craft, and repair ........................ 9.88 12.66 14.78 15.45 18.67

Water and sewer treatment plant operators ......... 8.22 8.61 9.19 11.81 11.82

Transportation and material moving ............................ 8.14 8.68 9.46 11.00 11.56

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 7.31 7.43 8.01 9.14 10.18

Laborers, except construction, n.e.c. .................... 7.43 7.43 7.50 9.14 9.14

Service ................................................................................. 7.31 7.86 9.26 12.63 18.95

Protective service ..................................................... 9.37 9.55 12.83 18.95 20.05

Police and detectives, public service .................... 13.09 17.91 19.63 19.99 20.31

Food service ............................................................. 7.05 7.80 8.63 10.10 12.24

Other food service .................................................. 7.05 7.80 8.63 10.10 12.24

Health service ........................................................... –––––

Cleaning and building service ................................... 6.77 7.51 7.86 8.31 8.98

Janitors and cleaners ........................................... 6.77 7.51 7.86 8.31 8.98

Personal service ....................................................... –––––

1 Percentiles designate position in the earnings distribution and are

calculated from individual-worker earnings. At the 50th percentile, the

median, half of the workers receive the same as or more than the rate

shown, and half receive the same as or less than the rate shown. At the

25th percentile, one-fourth of the workers receive the same as or less

than the rate shown. At the 75th percentile, one-fourth receive the same

as or more than the rate shown. The 10th and 90th percentiles follow the

same logic. Hourly wages are the straight-time wages or salaries paid to

employees. They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and

hazard pay. Excluded are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays,

nonproduction bonuses, and tips. 2 All workers include full-time and part-time workers. 3 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations

is used to cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for

more information.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not

meet publication criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified."

Overall occupational groups may include data for categories not shown

separately. 

25
Table 6-4. Hourly wage percentiles for establishment jobs,1 full-time workers:2 Selected occupations, all

industries, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupation3 10 25 Median

50 75 90

All ............................................................................................. $6.34 $7.98 $10.64 $19.45 $28.44

All excluding sales ............................................................ 6.25 8.00 10.71 19.96 28.73

White collar ......................................................................... 8.00 9.81 16.45 26.16 32.38

White collar excluding sales ......................................... 8.24 10.04 17.13 26.39 32.64

Professional specialty and technical ............................ 13.82 16.75 23.68 28.85 32.95

Professional specialty ................................................... 16.50 21.39 26.00 30.72 33.74

Engineers, architects, and surveyors ....................... –––––

Mathematical and computer scientists ..................... –––––

Health related ........................................................... 20.75 25.34 26.00 28.85 36.65

Registered nurses ................................................ 20.18 23.27 26.26 28.85 32.33

Teachers, college and university .............................. –––––

Teachers, except college and university .................. 20.93 22.31 26.43 31.02 33.94

Elementary school teachers ................................. 20.93 23.03 26.61 31.23 34.07

Secondary school teachers .................................. 21.17 22.31 26.26 31.02 33.94

Social, recreation, and religious workers .................. 10.45 13.04 16.02 16.50 17.03

Social workers ...................................................... 10.45 13.04 16.02 16.50 17.03

Writers, authors, entertainers, athletes, and

professionals, n.e.c. ............................................ –––––

Technical ...................................................................... 11.50 13.50 15.67 16.75 19.18

Licensed practical nurses ..................................... 11.59 13.50 15.50 16.47 16.93

Executive, administrative, and managerial .................. 14.19 16.25 23.56 34.33 36.70

Executives, administrators, and managers ............... 15.50 18.20 31.19 34.97 36.76

Managers and administrators, n.e.c. .................... 15.00 15.50 18.20 33.16 34.33

Management related ................................................. 11.50 14.19 16.36 17.79 22.00

Sales ................................................................................ 6.50 7.70 10.00 11.95 13.23

Sales workers, other commodities ........................ 5.65 7.30 9.29 11.86 12.94

Administrative support, including clerical ................... 7.25 8.15 9.09 10.50 17.68

Secretaries ........................................................... 8.01 8.89 9.77 10.49 18.01

Records clerks, n.e.c. ........................................... 7.72 7.73 8.29 9.45 10.04

Bookkeepers, accounting and auditing clerks ...... 8.30 8.51 9.09 9.86 11.58

General office clerks ............................................. 8.04 8.28 9.12 9.91 10.48

Teachers’ aides .................................................... 7.57 7.83 8.71 10.27 11.45

Blue collar ........................................................................... 5.75 7.25 9.00 11.54 15.44

Precision production, craft, and repair ........................ 8.65 11.03 14.35 18.27 26.39

Water and sewer treatment plant operators ......... 8.22 8.61 9.19 11.81 11.82

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ........ 6.65 7.83 9.17 10.56 11.50

Miscellaneous machine operators, n.e.c. ............. 7.00 9.12 10.33 11.25 12.73

Transportation and material moving ............................ 7.00 8.00 9.00 10.89 11.65

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 5.15 5.70 7.25 8.65 10.18

Helpers, construction trades ................................. 6.77 7.25 7.75 9.00 9.09

Stock handlers and baggers ................................. 5.25 5.25 5.65 6.00 7.00

Laborers, except construction, n.e.c. .................... 5.25 5.25 6.50 7.43 9.14

Service ................................................................................. 4.50 5.85 7.84 9.70 13.69

Protective service ..................................................... 5.15 6.50 10.69 15.07 19.94

Police and detectives, public service .................... 13.09 17.91 19.63 19.99 20.31

Food service ............................................................. 2.13 3.15 6.90 8.80 10.59

Waiters, waitresses, and bartenders ...................... 2.13 2.13 2.15 4.42 5.50

Waiters and waitresses ........................................ 2.13 2.13 2.13 2.15 4.25

Other food service .................................................. 5.50 7.00 8.06 10.09 11.52

Cooks ................................................................... 6.32 7.25 8.18 8.94 9.90

Health service ........................................................... 6.18 6.84 8.11 9.90 18.01

Health aides, except nursing ................................ 5.61 7.35 8.30 9.90 17.17

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants ............... 6.50 6.70 7.75 15.25 18.01

See footnotes at end of table.

26
Table 6-4. Hourly wage percentiles for establishment jobs,1 full-time workers:2 Selected occupations, all

industries, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003 — Continued

Occupation3 10 25 Median

50 75 90

Service –Continued

Cleaning and building service ................................... $6.07 $6.50 $7.78 $8.04 $8.93

Janitors and cleaners ........................................... 6.40 6.90 7.80 8.12 8.93

Personal service ....................................................... –––––

1 Percentiles designate position in the earnings distribution and are

calculated from individual-worker earnings. At the 50th percentile, the

median, half of the workers receive the same as or more than the rate

shown, and half receive the same as or less than the rate shown. At the

25th percentile, one-fourth of the workers receive the same as or less

than the rate shown. At the 75th percentile, one-fourth receive the same

as or more than the rate shown. The 10th and 90th percentiles follow the

same logic. Hourly wages are the straight-time wages or salaries paid to

employees. They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and

hazard pay. Excluded are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays,

nonproduction bonuses, and tips. 2 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time

schedule based on the definition used by each establishment. Therefore,

a worker with a 35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered a

full-time employee in one establishment, but classified as part-time in

another firm, where a 40-hour week is the minimum full-time schedule. 3 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations

is used to cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for

more information.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not

meet publication criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified."

Overall occupational groups may include data for categories not shown

separately. 

27
Table 6-5. Hourly wage percentiles for establishment jobs,1 part-time workers:2 Selected occupations, all

industries, National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupation3 10 25 Median

50 75 90

All ............................................................................................. $5.15 $5.15 $5.85 $6.80 $8.00

All excluding sales ............................................................ 5.15 5.15 5.75 6.65 8.00

White collar ......................................................................... 5.65 6.25 8.00 9.00 11.00

White collar excluding sales ......................................... 6.80 7.50 8.00 9.00 12.50

Professional specialty and technical ............................ –––––

Professional specialty ................................................... –––––

Health related ........................................................... –––––

Teachers, except college and university .................. –––––

Technical ...................................................................... –––––

Sales ................................................................................ 5.40 5.65 6.50 8.50 10.00

Cashiers ............................................................... 5.40 5.50 6.12 7.00 9.09

Administrative support, including clerical ................... –––––

Blue collar ........................................................................... 5.25 5.30 6.00 6.60 8.50

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ........ –––––

Transportation and material moving ............................ –––––

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 5.25 5.25 5.65 6.30 6.80

Stock handlers and baggers ................................. 5.15 5.25 5.40 5.65 6.25

Service ................................................................................. 5.15 5.15 5.30 6.13 6.92

Protective service ..................................................... –––––

Food service ............................................................. 2.13 2.13 4.50 5.15 5.75

Waiters, waitresses, and bartenders ...................... –––––

Other food service .................................................. –––––

Health service ........................................................... –––––

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants ............... 5.35 5.55 5.85 6.25 7.20

Cleaning and building service ................................... –––––

Personal service ....................................................... –––––

1 Percentiles designate position in the earnings distribution and are

calculated from individual-worker earnings. At the 50th percentile, the

median, half of the workers receive the same as or more than the rate

shown, and half receive the same as or less than the rate shown. At the

25th percentile, one-fourth of the workers receive the same as or less

than the rate shown. At the 75th percentile, one-fourth receive the same

as or more than the rate shown. The 10th and 90th percentiles follow the

same logic. Hourly wages are the straight-time wages or salaries paid to

employees. They include incentive pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and

hazard pay. Excluded are premium pay for overtime, vacations, holidays,

nonproduction bonuses, and tips. 2 Employees are classified as working either a full-time or a part-time

schedule based on the definition used by each establishment. Therefore,

a worker with a 35-hour-per-week schedule might be considered a

full-time employee in one establishment, but classified as part-time in

another firm, where a 40-hour week is the minimum full-time schedule. 3 A classification system including about 480 individual occupations

is used to cover all workers in the civilian economy. See appendix B for

more information.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data did not

meet publication criteria, and n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified."

Overall occupational groups may include data for categories not shown

separately. 

28
A-1 

Appendix A: Technical Note 

his section provides basic information on the procedures and concepts used to produce the data contained 

in this bulletin. It is divided into three parts: Planning for 

the survey; data collection; and processing and analyzing 

the data. Although this section answers some questions 

commonly asked by data users, it is not a comprehensive 

description of all the steps required to produce the data. 

Planning for the survey

The overall design of the survey includes questions of 

scope, frame, and sample selection.

Survey scope 

This survey covered establishments employing 50 workers 

or more in goods-producing industries (mining, construction and manufacturing); service-producing industries 

(transportation, communications, electric, gas, and sanitary 

services; wholesale trade; retail trade; finance, insurance, 

and real estate; and services industries); and State and local 

governments. Agriculture, private households, and the Federal Government were excluded from the scope of the survey. For purposes of this survey, an establishment is an 

economic unit that produces goods or services, a central 

administrative office, or an auxiliary unit providing support 

services to a company. For private industries in this survey, the establishment is usually at a single physical location. For State and local governments, an establishment is 

defined as all locations of a government entity. 

 The Brownsville–Harlingen–San Benito, TX, Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Cameron County.

Sampling frame

The list of establishments from which the survey sample 

was selected (sampling frame) was developed from State 

unemployment insurance reports. Due to the volatility of 

industries within the private sector, sampling frames were 

developed using the most recent month of reference available at the time the sample was selected. The sampling 

frame was reviewed prior to the survey and, when necessary, missing establishments were added, out-of-business 

and out-of-scope establishments were removed, and addresses, employment levels, industry classification, and 

other information were updated. Approximately one-fifth 

of the sample is reselected each year. 

Sample design

The sample for this survey area was selected using a twostage stratified design with probability proportional to employment sampling at each stage. The first stage of sample 

selection was a probability sample of establishments. The 

sample of establishments was drawn by first stratifying the 

sampling frame by industry and ownership. The number of 

sample establishments allocated to each stratum is approximately proportional to the stratum employment. Each 

sampled establishment is selected within a stratum with a 

probability proportional to its employment. Use of this 

technique means that the larger an establishment’s employment, the greater its chance of selection. Weights were 

applied to each establishment when the data were tabulated 

so that it represents similar units (by industry and employment size) in the economy that were not selected for collection. The second stage of sample selection, detailed below, 

was a probability sample of occupations within a sampled 

establishment. 

Data collection

The collection of data from survey respondents required 

detailed procedures. Field economists collected the data, 

working out of the Regional Office and visiting each establishment surveyed. Other contact methods, such as mail 

and telephone, were used to follow-up and update data. 

Occupational selection and classification

Identification of the occupations for which wage data were 

to be collected was a multistep process: 

1. Probability-proportional-to-size selection of establishment jobs 

2. Classification of jobs into occupations based on the 

Census of Population system 

3. Characterization of jobs as full-time v. part-time, 

union v. nonunion, and time v. incentive 

4. Determination of the level of work of each job 

 For each occupation, wage data were collected for those 

workers who met all the criteria identified in the last three 

steps. Special procedures were developed for jobs for 

which a correct classification or level could not be determined. 

T
A-2 

 In step one, the jobs to be sampled were selected at each 

establishment by the BLS field economist during a personal 

visit. A complete list of employees was used for sampling, 

with each selected worker representing a job within the establishment. 

 As with the selection of establishments, the selection of 

a job was based on probability proportional to its size in 

the establishment. The greater the number of people working in a job in the establishment, the greater its chance of 

selection. 

 The number of jobs for which data were collected in 

each establishment was based on the establishment’s employment size. Prior to 2002, the number of jobs selected 

ranged from 8 to 20. Beginning in 2002, the number of 

jobs selected followed this schedule: 

Number 

of employees

Number 

of selected jobs

50–249 6 

250 and over 8 

 The second step of the process entailed classifying the 

selected jobs into occupations based on their duties. The 

National Compensation Survey occupational classification 

system is based on the 1990 Census of Population. A selected job may fall into any one of about 480 occupational 

classifications, from accountant to wood lathe operator. 

For cases in which a job’s duties overlapped two or more 

census classification codes, the duties used to set the wage 

level were used to classify the job. Classification by primary duties was the fallback. 

 Each occupational classification is an element of a 

broader classification known as a major occupational group 

(MOG). Occupations can fall into any of the following 

MOGs: 

• Professional specialty and technical 

• Executive, administrative, and managerial 

• Sales 

• Administrative support, including clerical 

• Precision production, craft, and repair 

• Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors 

• Transportation and material moving 

• Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 

• Service occupations 

 Appendix B contains a complete list of all individual 

occupations, classified by the MOG to which they belong. 

In step three, certain other job characteristics of the 

chosen worker were identified. First, the worker was identified as holding either a full-time or part-time job, based 

on the establishment’s definition of those terms. Then, the 

worker was classified as having a time versus incentive job, 

depending on whether any part of pay was directly based 

on the actual production of the worker, rather than solely 

on hours worked. Finally, the worker was identified as being in a union job or a nonunion job. See the “Definition of 

terms” section on the following page for more detail. 

Occupational leveling

In the last step before wage data were collected, the work 

level of each selected job was determined using an “occupational leveling” process. Occupational leveling ranks 

and compares all occupations randomly selected in an establishment using the same criteria. 

 For this survey, the level of each occupation in an establishment was determined by an analysis of each of 10 leveling factors. Nine of these factors are drawn from the U.S. 

Government Office of Personnel Management’s Factor 

Evaluation System, which is the underlying structure for 

evaluation of General Schedule Federal employees. The 

tenth factor, supervisory duties, attempts to account for the 

effect of supervisory duties. It is considered experimental. 

The 10 factors are: 

• Knowledge 

• Supervision received 

• Guidelines 

• Complexity 

• Scope and effect 

• Personal contacts 

• Purpose of contacts 

• Physical demands 

• Work environment 

• Supervisory duties 

 Each factor contains a number of levels, and each level 

has an associated written description and point value. The 

number and range of points differ among the factors. For 

each factor, an occupation was assigned a level based on 

the written description that best matched the job. Within 

each occupation, the points for nine factors (supervisory 

duties was excluded) were recorded and totaled. The total 

determines the overall level of the occupation. A description of the levels for each factor is shown in appendix C. 

 Tabulations of levels of work for occupations in the 

survey follow the Federal Government’s white-collar General Schedule. Point ranges for each of the 15 levels are 

shown in appendix D. It also includes an example of a job 

with its associated leveling factors, and a guide to help data 

users evaluate jobs in their firms 

 Wage data collected in prior surveys using the occupational leveling method were evaluated by BLS researchers 

using regression techniques. For each of the major occupational groups, wages were compared to the 10 occupational 

leveling factors (and levels within those factors). The 

analysis showed that several of the occupational leveling 

factors, most notably knowledge and supervision received, 

had strong explanatory power for wages. That is, as the 

levels within a given factor increased, the wages also increased. 
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Collection period

Survey data were collected over a 13-month period for 60 

metropolitan areas in the NCS program. For 20 small metropolitan areas, data were collected over a 4-month period. 

For each establishment in the survey, the data reflect the establishment’s most recent information at the time of collection. The payroll reference month shown in the tables reflects the average date of this information for all sample 

units. 

Earnings

Earnings were defined as regular payments from the employer to the employee as compensation for straight-time 

hourly work, or for any salaried work performed. The following components were included as part of earnings: 

• Incentive pay, including commissions, production 

bonuses, and piece rates 

• Cost-of-living allowances 

• Hazard pay 

• Payments of income deferred due to participation 

in a salary reduction plan 

• Deadhead pay, defined as pay given to transportation workers returning in a vehicle without freight 

or passengers 

 The following forms of payments were not considered 

part of straight-time earnings: 

• Shift differentials, defined as extra payment for 

working a schedule that varies from the norm, such 

as night or weekend work 

• Premium pay for overtime, holidays, and weekends 

• Bonuses not directly tied to production (such as 

Christmas and profit-sharing bonuses) 

• Uniform and tool allowances 

• Free room and board 

• Payments made by third parties (for example, tips, 

bonuses given by manufacturers to department 

store salespeople, referral incentives in real estate) 

• On-call pay 

 

 To calculate earnings for various periods (hourly, 

weekly, and annual), data on work schedules also were collected. For hourly workers, scheduled hours worked per 

day and per week, exclusive of overtime, were recorded. 

Annual weeks worked were determined. Because salaried 

workers, exempt from overtime provisions, often work beyond the assigned work schedule, their typical number of 

hours actually worked was collected. 

Definition of terms

Full-time worker. Any employee that the employer considers to be full time. 

Incentive worker. Any employee whose earnings are tied, 

at least in part, to commissions, piece rates, production bonuses, or other incentives based on production or sales. 

Level. A ranking of an occupation based on the requirements of the position. (See the description in the technical 

note on occupational leveling through point factor analysis 

for more details on the leveling process.) 

Nonunion worker. An employee in an occupation not 

meeting the conditions for union coverage. (See below.) 

Part-time worker. Any employee that the employer considers to be part time. 

Time-based worker. Any employee whose earnings are 

tied to an hourly rate or salary, and not to a specific level of 

production. 

Union worker. Any employee is in a union occupation 

when all of the following conditions are met: 

• A labor organization is recognized as the bargaining agent for all workers in the occupation 

• Wage and salary rates are determined through 

collective bargaining or negotiations 

• Settlement terms, which must include earnings provisions and may include benefit provisions, are embodied in a signed, mutually binding collective 

bargaining agreement

 Processing and analyzing the data

Data were processed and analyzed at the Bureau’s National 

Office following collection. 

Weighting and nonresponse

Sample weights were calculated for each establishment and 

occupation in the survey. These weights reflected the relative size of the occupation within the establishment and of 

the establishment within the sample universe. Weights 

were used to aggregate data for the individual establishments or occupations into the various data series. Some of 

the establishments surveyed could not supply or refused to 

supply information. If data were not provided by a sample 

member, the weights of responding sample members in the 

same or similar “cells” were adjusted to account for the 

missing data. This technique assumes that the mean value 

of data for the nonrespondents equals the mean value of 

data for the respondents at some detailed “cell” level. Responding and nonresponding establishments were classified 

into these cells according to industry and employment size. 

Responding and nonresponding occupations within responding establishments were classified into cells that were 

additionally defined by major occupation group and job 

level. 
A-4 

 Establishments that were determined to be out of business or outside the scope of the survey had their weights 

changed to zero. If only partial data were given by a sample establishment or occupation, or data were missing, the 

response was treated as a refusal. 

Survey response 

Establish- 

 ments 

Total in sampling frame 272 

Total in sample 154 

Responding 112 

Out of business or not in survey scope 18 

Unable or refused to provide data 24 

 In this survey, the nonresponse rates for all industries, 

private industry, and State and local government were within regular survey standards. 

Estimation

The wage series in the tables are computed by combining 

the wages for each sampled occupation. Before being 

combined, individual wage rates are weighted by: the number of workers; the sample weight, adjusted for nonresponding establishments and other factors; and the occupation’s scheduled hours of work. 

 Not all calculated series met the criteria for publication. 

Before any series was published, it was reviewed to make 

sure that the number of observations underlying it was sufficient. This review prevented the publication of a series 

that could have revealed information about a specific establishment. 

 Estimates of the number of workers represent the total 

in all establishments within the scope of the study, and not 

the number actually surveyed. Because occupational structures among establishments differ, estimates of the number 

of workers obtained from the sample of establishments 

serve to indicate only the relative importance of the occupational groups studied. 

Percentiles

The percentiles presented in tables 6–1 through 6–5 are 

computed using earnings reported for individual workers in 

sampled establishment jobs. Establishments in the survey 

may report only individual-worker earnings for each sampled job. For the calculation of percentile estimates, the 

individual-worker hourly earnings are appropriately 

weighted and then arrayed from lowest to highest. 

 The published 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles designate position in the earnings distribution within 

each published occupation. For example, at the 50th percentile, the median, half of the workers receive the same as 

or more than the rate shown, and half receive the same as 

or less than the rate shown. At the 25th percentile, onefourth of the workers receive the same as or less than the 

rate shown. At the 75th percentile, one-fourth receive the 

same as or more than the rate shown. The 10th and 90th 

percentiles follow the same logic. 

Data reliability

The data in this bulletin are estimates from a scientifically 

selected probability sample. There are two types of errors 

possible in an estimate based on a sample survey, sampling 

and nonsampling. 

 Sampling errors occur because observations come only 

from a sample and not from an entire population. The 

sample used for this survey is one of a number of possible 

samples of the same size that could have been selected using the sample design. Estimates derived from the different 

samples would differ from each other. 

 A measure of the variation among these differing estimates is called the standard error or sampling error. It indicates the precision with which an estimate from a particular sample approximates the average result of all possible 

samples. The relative standard error (RSE) is the standard 

error divided by the estimate. RSE data are provided 

alongside the earnings data in the bulletin tables. 

 The standard error can be used to calculate a “confidence interval” around a sample estimate. As an example, 

suppose a table shows that mean hourly earnings for all 

workers were $12.79, with a relative standard error of 3.6 

percent for this estimate. At the 90-percent level, the confidence interval for the estimate is $13.55 to $12.03 (1.645 

times 3.6 percent times $12.79 = $0.76, plus or minus 

$12.79). If all possible samples were selected to estimate 

the population value, the interval from each sample would 

include the true population value approximately 90 percent 

of the time. 

 Nonsampling errors also affect survey results. They 

can stem from many sources, such as inability to obtain information for some establishments, difficulties with survey 

definitions, inability of the respondents to provide correct 

information, or mistakes in recording or coding the data obtained. Although they were not specifically measured, the 

nonsampling errors were expected to be minimal due to the 

extensive training of the field economists who gathered the 

survey data by personal visit, computer edits of the data, 

and detailed data review. 
Appendix table 1. Number of workers1 represented by the survey, by occupational group,2

National Compensation Survey, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX, July 2003

Occupational group

Full-time and part-time workers

Total Private industry State and local 

government

All occupations ....................................................................... 45,900 29,200 16,800

All excluding sales ........................................................ 43,300 26,500 16,800

White collar ......................................................................... 21,600 10,200 11,400

White-collar excluding sales ......................................... 19,000 7,600 11,400

Professional specialty and technical ................................. 10,100 3,400 6,700

Professional specialty ................................................... 8,200 1,600 6,600

Technical ...................................................................... 1,800 1,800 –

Executive, administrative, and managerial ....................... 2,000 800 1,200

Sales ................................................................................. 2,600 2,600 –

Administrative support, including clerical .......................... 7,000 3,400 3,600

Blue collar ........................................................................... 9,500 7,500 2,000

Precision production, craft, and repair .............................. 2,000 1,500 –

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors .............. 2,400 2,400 –

Transportation and material moving ................................. 1,400 500 900

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ...... 3,700 3,100 600

Service ................................................................................. 14,700 11,400 3,300

1 The number of workers represented by the survey are

rounded to the nearest 100. Estimates of the number of workers

provide a description of size and composition of the labor force

included in the survey. Estimates are not intended, however, for

comparison to other statistical series to measure employment

trends or levels. Both full-time and part-time workers were

included in the survey.

2 A classification system including about 480 individual

occupations is used to cover all workers in the civilian economy.

See appendix B for more information.

 NOTE: Dashes indicate that no data were reported or that data

did not meet publication criteria. 

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